Even if it weren’t for Le’Veon Bell burning his bridges in a city of them over the course of the past two years, James Conner of the Pittsburgh Steelers would still be loved by this blue-collar town. An Erie native who was a star at Pitt, he was one of those players who felt destined to land with a specific team in the draft. And, of course, he did land in Pittsburgh.
Now he enters the 2019 season, his third in the NFL, coming off a Pro Bowl performance and recognized as the undisputed starter after putting up roughly 1500 yards from scrimmage with 13 scores in 13 games played, Bell now in New York after sitting out the 2018 season.