Trib reports on James “Mr Everything” Conner’s visit on the Ellen DeGeneres Show – in case you missed it please watch the video posted below…
Shortly after a video of the segment appeared on DeGeneres’ website and on TribLive.com, Conner began receiving interview requests through Erie videographer and family friend Mike Gallagher. Reporters called from Kansas City, Denver and Jacksonville, Gallagher said.
“I had one message from a guy who wants to pitch him to Campbell’s Soup,” Gallagher said. “I responded I need him to beat Penn State first.” The NCAA does not permit college athletes to do endorsements.
DeGeneres’ producers taped an interview with Conner in Pittsburgh several days before his appearance in which he said doctors told him the cure rate for his disease is 85 to 90 percent.
“That’s more than enough for me,” he told DeGeneres. “I’d be good if you said 2 percent. It’s on. Let’s go.”
Here is the video, have a handkerchief handy for the tears…
The Pitt News cover the show also.
“If you think you’re having a bad day, and then you see him at practice with one of those masks on, it’s amazing,” Galambos said.
DeGeneres and Conner discussed the limitations chemotherapy puts on his training, as well as his future plans for the upcoming football season.
“The only thing I can’t do is — I have a port in my chest — so I can’t really get tackled,” Connor said. “Good for you, you can’t get tackled. That’s a great thing,” DeGeneres responded, laughing.
Here is some more media – linked is the latest Chris Peak of Rivals has his weekly podcast. He starts of talking about the changes done in the Athletic Department to expedite the fundraising processes. He also has interviews with Sakir Soto, Adam Bisnowaty and Dorian Johnson and some more talk about the spring game… Enjoy, it’s 56 minutes long but as always a nice listen for his point of view on the football program.
Peak talks about Tom MacVitte coming is as a true FR this August… I’ll say this no – do not hold your breath to see MacVitte get any real playing time unless big multiple injuries happen – Peak thinks otherwise, but if Narduzzi wants to win in the future I think he has to not take the chance of screwing up MacVitte by burning his redshirt now.
Speaking of Pitt QBs here is starting QB Nate Peterman fitted out with a “Go-Pro” camera on his helmet during a spring drill. These videos are always fun and somehow this one slid under my ‘media radar’ so I’ll post it now:
Sam Werner of the Post Gazette weighs in with a piece on “What We Learned…” about the spring game. I’ll tell you what I learned. That we need that fundraising mentioned above to kick into high gear ASAP so that we can buy a top-shelf grad transfer QB before August’s fall camp rolls around.
Here is one of five points made:
2. Which freshmen will impact the depth chart?
The leading candidate is Central Catholic defensive back Damar Hamlin, who should challenge for the starting cornerback spot opposite Avonte Maddox. Moss will likely be in the mix at running back, and four-star receiver Ruben Flowers could prove to be part of the solution in replacing Boyd. It also will be worth watching players such as defensive tackle Keyshon Camp and linebacker Chase Pine, both of whom could help provide depth at positions of need.
Here is an older P-G piece about the ‘voluntary workouts’ over the summer:
So, if Peterman wants to practice his timing and chemistry with his receivers, they’ll have to do it on their own. And that’s exactly what they plan to do. “It’s good to have everybody hear the same thing from my mouth and kind of go out there and do it,” he said.
“A couple of the balls [Saturday] I threw a little early trying to get it there with anticipation. We’ve just got to get a little bit more on the same page. That’s going to help a lot. This summer’s going to be big for us.”
Peterman added that he and the receivers organized some players-only workouts over the winter, too. But because Canada essentially spent his first month on the job out recruiting, they could only work on last year’s offense.
This summer, they’ll be able to practice with the terminology and playbook they plan to use this fall. “Now it’s really good,” Peterman said. “We have things that we can get better at and tape that we can show and work off of.”
Peterman will be the one leading most of those workouts, which will be a slightly new role for him. He didn’t arrive on Pitt’s campus until last summer, and spent most of that period — and even into training camp — as the presumed backup to Chad Voytik.
As far as Boyd, I believe this article speaks to what many of us feel as far as his play at next level.
Ian Wharton makes a convincing argument.
But, I still think Boyd is SPECIAL when it comes to getting open and catching the Ball.
His biggest area of improvement… something you and I emphasized during Boyd’s disappointing performance at the Combine… and one of the things pointed out by Wharton.
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Since Boyd does not have a thick, muscular frame to offset his lack of explosive traits, he’s going to struggle against physical NFL cornerbacks.
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Boyd was able to run a decent 40. Basically a 4.5 Guy.
But he has a lot of room to grow physically. At the next level, he won’t be able to opt out of the weight room as the evidence suggests he did at Pitt.
But according to just about everyone, he his going on the Second Day.
Tough to pass on a Guy who put up some better numbers than another Pitt Guy who is likely to end up in the Hall.
He won’t be going into the NFL – wherever he is drafted – as a “Golden Boy” like he was coming out of Clairton to Pitt. He’ll have to work his ass off every second to stay in competition with guys who are his physical equal or better.
I think the only thing that Boyd did exceptionally well were the circus catches and his trap-like hands at the high point of errant passes. Other things… I think the scouting report was dead on.
Stas, as we all know, can be used by picking and choosing what to use to make a point. The referenced stats in that article are good and true, however he came up short in some other very important categories.
His yards per catch was 39th nationally at 10.2 ypc, his yards receiving per game the same (39th)at 77.2 and also had only had 6 TD catches, showing up at a poor 85th.
His 7.6 catches per game however was right up near the top at 7th with 7.6 rpg and that will be matched by committee.
All this is why that contrary to when other big starts have left Pitt (Aaron Donald especially) I’m not too worried about Boyd’s departure. I hesitate to use the phrase ‘addition by subtraction’ and it really doesn’t apply here… yet. But I think it will during the regular season when the other WRs not named Boyd get wrapped into the offense.
Canada has been quoted as saying that he never liked the idea of one receiver getting the lions share of the passes throw and I think his O tendencies are to get a whole platoon involved. That way the opposing DC has to consider lots of different skills set among the Pitt receivers instead of just basically one in Boyd.
We’ll see but I love Ford with his consistent play and now that Weah has caught a few balls in a game-like situation we’ll have a better deep game than last season – Weah, Tipton and Q, Henderson all all faster in straight speed than Boyd was, so if Canada calls deep plays like he says he will I trust Peterman’s arm to get the ball down where the receivers can run under it.
What would have “Void-tik” been if there never was the “Golden Boy” from Clairton?
Can you imagine the numbers… or lack thereof… that he would have had.
Maybe you should do Part II?
It’s not “we Pitt fans”, it’s mostly just two driving the negativity. Stay above it.
H2P!
This what fans all over do… they always are super optimistic because they love the players.
I wish Boyd would have stayed but he chose not to… either way if we discuss him then we should be honest in what we think.
It really boils down to Boyd going out and either buying a Bentley or rather a Mercedes depending on when he is drafted, a nice issue to have.
I like to play the role as Upitt’s antagonist simply because he is so dark & pessimistic routinely about all things Pitt. That’s been easy pickings for a long time because Pitt Football has been in turmoil ever since the Wanny firing. Well that sure bet is quickly disappearing and just because somebody continually spouts his opinion with conviction, doesn’t make it reality.
We’ll see real soon when & where Mr. Boyd is going to earn his NFL paycheck. Me thinks that Boyd goes early enough in the Draft that I’ll be all done lambasting Upittbaseball, once again for his swing & a miss prediction on Boyd by the time the Fourth Round picks get announced.
Boyd will already be picking out the color of his new car by then, good for him! H2P!
I get the reasons for it – it is all financial and can’t dispute that but with the NCAA/Pitt insurance policies these kids can get I wonder if an extra year might help some get better positioned for the draft.
Donald was projected rounds 2-4 his JR year then stayed, won every award possible for a defensive player and look at him now.
Maybe if Boyd stayed and concentrated on the aspects of his make up that the NFL scouts see need work then 1) he’d have a better statistical year and 2) be a higher draft pick.
Greg Lee should have done it for sure and if James Conner doesn’t match or get close to his 2014 playing production he should stay as well. Right now his draft stock is low or non-existent and if’s he’s having a hard time bouncing back from his illness and injury in one full season perhaps he should get that 5th year of eligibility…
Right now he has three under his belt and next year would be his 4th but I’m sure the NCAA would give him a waiver for 2015, especially because he didn’t redshirt his first year.
Some of you get too hung up on 2015 when 2013 and 2014 are probably a more accurate portrait of who Boyd will be in the NFL.
gc…correct.
Reed…I really only disagree with the “addition by subtraction” comment. We will be fine at WR, especially if we throw the ball more. C’mon man, I don’t see how losing an experienced, highly productive player at any position can be interpreted as an “addition”.
James is amazing – represents Pitt so well.
The helmet cam video of NP was interesting. But doesn’t it seem like our WRs are always tightly covered? Is it our WRs or our DBs?
NP seemed to be doing some good coaching after each play…
Go Pitt.