Copied from the Pitt Website… 

James Conner talks to ESPN’s Andrea Adelson:

I love the way he list every other player on offense as the reason he won the ward in 2015 then says “I play a small role“. What a genuinely good person.

JAMES CONNER TRIES FOR RARE ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR REPEAT

By Andrea Adelson

PINEHURST, N.C. — James Conner broke records, pounded opponents and had one of the most prolific seasons in Pittsburgh history, a school known for its remarkable running backs.

Yet, he was not chosen to repeat as ACC Player of the Year. The preseason honor went to Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, who earned 23 more votes than Conner, who rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns last season.

Head-scratching? Perhaps. But history has proven it is difficult to repeat as ACC Player of the Year. Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward was the last to do it, in 1992-93. Since then, only four players have had an opportunity to repeat: E.J. Henderson, Jonathan Dwyer, Tajh Boyd and Jameis Winston.

None of them did, but they got more preseason love than Conner. Dwyer, Boyd and Winston were all chosen as the preseason favorites the year after they won ACC Player of the Year honors.

So what gives? For one, it is hard to ignore what Watson did when he played a year ago. He could end up with more than 4,000 yards in total offense if he remains healthy and is as dynamic as he was in flashes in 2014. For another, Clemson is projected to be a College Football Playoff contender.

Pittsburgh was picked to finish sixth in the mediocre Coastal Division and is coming off a 6-7 season. Team success often leads to greater player name recognition. Still, it would come as no surprise at all if Conner puts the snub in his memory bank and uses it as extra motivation.

“If it was me it would,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. Then he added, diplomatically, “But that also tells you the caliber of football player we have in the ACC. You’ve got to prove it every year. Who knows who it’s going to be at the end of the year? It doesn’t matter where you are preseason, it’s where you are at the end of the season.”

Where Conner wants to be is in Charlotte playing in the ACC championship game. Conner has never played for a championship on any level, so hoisting a trophy has taken on even greater importance in what could be his last season in college.

To get to Charlotte, Pittsburgh will need another incredible season out of Conner, who already has his sights set higher in 2015 — to the tune of perhaps 30 touchdowns. If he is used the way Narduzzi is planning, that is within the realm of possibility.

Not only do the Panthers want Conner to be used more in the passing game, they also want him in the backfield more on third downs. Last season, Conner had 32 rushes on third downs to rank No. 15 nationally. He converted 71.9 percent of the time, which ranked third among running backs with at least 20 carries.

But Narduzzi also wants to keep his opponents guessing, too. By using Conner more in the passing game, opponents will have a tougher time knowing whether the call on third down is a run or pass if he is in the backfield. In all, Conner has eight career receptions — just five last season.

“He can’t just be a guy that you put in a game when it’s going to be a run,” Narduzzi said. “As a defensive guy, I’ll know when James is in the game it’s a run and when he’s not it’s a pass. We have to get him the ball on third down — whether it be a draw or a pass out of the backfield. He’s got great hands. In the spring we did it, and it was like, ‘Why was this guy not in on third downs?’ So that was an emphasis in the spring and will continue to be an emphasis.”

As for his workload, Narduzzi called Conner a “war-daddy back” and pointed to former Michigan State back Le’Veon Bell, who had 382 carries in 2012. Last season, Conner had 298. “Comparing that to James, he had a light load last year. Light load,” Narduzzi said.

Conner is ready for anything, and what he did last season gives him more confidence. Though opponents will have a better idea of what to expect, it’s still a difficult task to bring down a 6-foot-2, 240-pound bulldozer. Ask Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller, who said, “If you don’t have that attitude where you’re going to get him down, you’re not going to.”

“I know defenses don’t have a fun time trying to tackle me,” Conner said. “So I use that to my advantage, lower my shoulder and try to move those chains.”

As for repeating as ACC Player of the Year, Conner is a believer — even though many are not. “Not to sound cocky, but I believe I can come back and win player of the year again but if I don’t, then I won’t be discouraged because I know I gave it everything I got and that wasn’t part of the plan,” he said.

ALSO…

PITT LANDS THREE ON PRESEASON ALL-ACC FOOTBALL TEAM

   PITTSBURGH—Pitt landed three players on the preseason All-ACC football team announced today, including the top two vote getters at their respective positions.

Running back James Conner, wide receiver Tyler Boyd and offensive tackle Adam Bisnowaty were named to the 27-player All-ACC squad selected by a vote of 163 media members who cover the league.

Conner (Erie, Pa./McDowell) led the overall voting as he was selected by 148 of the reporters casting ballots. The junior was the ACC Player of the Year in 2014 after rushing for 1,765 yards and a conference-record 26 touchdowns.

Boyd (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) received the most votes among the receivers with 137. (Clemson wideout Mike Williams was second with 98). A first-team All-ACC honoree last year, Boyd is the first player in the league’s history to compile 1,000 receiving yards in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Bisnowaty (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) enters his third season as a starter at offensive tackle. He was an instrumental performer for a Pitt offense that last year averaged 435.4 yards per contest, the Panthers’ highest average since 1992.

Let’s hope we see some defensive players in the running for All-ACC in 2016! Lord knows we need them.