Pittsburgh's James Conner vowed to play in 2016 when he announced in December that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi went a step further last week, guaranteeing that Conner would play in 2016, and now we're getting a glimpse into why Narduzzi is feeling so optimistic.
Saturday morning brought some signs of progress from the star running back.
Narduzzi posted this video of Conner working out with his teammates:
As the video began to circulate on social media, Conner took to Twitter to share more background on the circumstances surrounding the clip:
Sloppy or not, it's great to see Conner on the field. In addition to battling cancer, he's returning from a season-ending MCL tear that he suffered in the first game of the 2015 season.
"He is such an inspiration," Narduzzi told FOX Sports on Saturday. "Our kids see him, and whenever they feel like they're tired and or life's getting tough, they look at him and see what he's doing. The guy doesn't want to pull back on anything. He's such an unbelievable kid."
Conner was selected as the ACC Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2014, when he ran for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns.
He can look to Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry for inspiration -- The Associated Press selected Berry the Comeback Player of the Year at NFL Honors last week. Berry left the Chiefs late in 2014 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and returned in 2015 for an All-Pro season.
Conner and Berry spoke in December after Conner announced his diagnosis.
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