蘑菇视频

Jun 1, 2017 By Alan Saunders for The 5 min read

PITTSBURGH 鈥� Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers鈥� rookie class got a break from organized team activities and headed across town to PNC Park to take in the Pirates鈥� batting practice.

It was a fun day for the rookies, who got to spend time on the other side, watching other athletes put their work in. At the end of the session, as the Pirates came off the field, some of the athletes introduced themselves to one another. They told stories and shared things like college football allegiances and places to live in their new hometown.

For two of the athletes, the bond was unspoken and far deeper.

Steelers running back James Conner and Pirates right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon are cancer survivors.

Cancer is a disease that enters our consciousness mostly among the elderly. The disease and its treatments sap its victim of their strength and vitality. Conner is a 22-year-old, 233-pound running back who was a third-round draft pick this spring. Taillon is 25-year-old pitcher who throws 97 mph and was a first-round pick by the Pirates in 2010. They don鈥檛 look like cancer patients.

They鈥檙e so gifted and athletically talented and are obviously fortunate that they鈥檝e been able to pursue careers are professional athletes. At the same time, compared to their relative peers, their lives are different. It could be something about being faced with their own mortality at such a young age.

鈥淭he word 鈥榗ancer鈥� is scary,鈥� Taillon said in his first press conference after receiving the diagnosis. 鈥淲hen you have the word cancer involved, it adds a whole other dimension.鈥�

That蘑菇视频 why Conner made sure that he got to meet Taillon and greeted him with a big hug.

鈥淚 heard about his story,鈥� Conner said Thursday after Steelers practice. 鈥淚 told him I can鈥檛 wait to see him back out there at 100 percent.鈥�

Getting to 100 percent as a professional athlete is not easy. But Conner and Taillon shocked observers by their willingness to push the issue athletically when it came to their return to the field.

Conner, who overcame Hodgkin lymphoma, went to chemotherapy in the morning and participated in Pitt蘑菇视频 spring practices in the afternoons with a surgical mask to aid his hindered immune system. Taillon took the mound Sunday for the first time competitively just 20 days after he had surgery to treat testicular cancer.

Taillon said the first thing that came to his mind when he thought of Conner was 鈥渢ough.鈥�

鈥淚t was good to get to talk to him,鈥� Taillon said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e going to be fans of each other.鈥�

Athletes are judged by their accomplishments on the field. But it蘑菇视频 awfully hard to compare stiff-arming a defensive back or striking out a cleanup hitter with what these young men have already accomplished just by being where they are.

Neither seem content to rest at that, either. Conner has made it a point to try to use his status as a football player 鈥� first for the University of Pittsburgh and now for the Steelers 鈥� to help and inspire others.

Before Pitt蘑菇视频 game against Duke at Heinz Field last fall, Conner took a moment to greet Andrew O鈥橬eill, a local 5-year-old boy that had cancer and was visiting on the sideline as part of a Make-a-Wish Foundation trip. Unsatisfied with just a sideline visit, Conner invited Andrew into the Pitt locker room and also invited him to New York City for Pitt蘑菇视频 bowl game. After Andrew died in December, Conner insisted that his family travel to New York as his guests.

鈥淚 find joy in spending time and giving back and being an inspiration to other people,鈥� Conner said. 鈥淚 like to try to change lives as I鈥檓 changing mine. I鈥檓 thankful for the position that I鈥檓 in.鈥�

Taillon made his first rehab start in Erie on Sunday. After he came of the mound, but before heading to the clubhouse, Taillon 鈥� a major-league pitcher throwing in Double-A ballpark that he鈥檇 only ever set foot in a handful of times 鈥� stopped for an entire inning to speak with a fan and his children. The man had just underwent 16 weeks of chemotherapy for testicular cancer.

鈥淚t蘑菇视频 a part of who I am now,鈥� Taillon said. 鈥淚鈥檓 more than happy to talk with people and share my experiences. 鈥� It蘑菇视频 cool to share those stories.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 thankful that I鈥檓 staying in Pittsburgh,鈥� Conner added. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any treatments left, but I鈥檓 thankful to stay here and get the support from UPMC and from the whole city really. I鈥檓 just thankful to be here.鈥�

Athletes that have success and spend their careers in Pittsburgh often become heroes. Their success on the field is their calling card. Conner and Taillon are young. Their stories as professional athletes have not yet been told. But as role models and athletes to look up to, for their physical toughness and willingness to give back, Pittsburgh already has some winners.