James Conner named AFCA first team All-American
12/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
PITTSBURGH—Over the past 50 years only two Pitt running backs—the legendary Tony Dorsett and Craig "Ironhead" Heyward—have been selected first team All-Americans.
That select group added another member today with the news that Pitt sophomore James Conner has been named to the 26-player American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America Team.
Conner is Pitt's first running back to garner first-team All-America honors in 27 years. Heyward was a first team All-American in 1987. Prior to that, Dorsett was a unanimous first-team selection in 1976, the year he won the Heisman Trophy and Pitt won the national championship.
AFCA is one of five All-America selectors used by the NCAA to determine consensus status. In addition to today's AFCA first-team recognition, Conner was also a second-team selection by the Associated Press, Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation.
"I'm incredibly honored that the American Football Coaches Association would select me for this tremendous recognition," Conner said. "Again, this gives me the opportunity to thank my own coaches and teammates. This honor is as much theirs as it is mine. I love Pitt, I love my team and I'm really excited about what we can achieve moving forward. The sky is the limit for this program and we're going to work hard every day to make our university proud."
Earlier this month, Conner (Erie, Pa./McDowell) was honored as the Atlantic Coast Conference's overall Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year by league media and head coaches.
Conner is the nation's fifth-leading rusher with 1,675 yards. He also ranks third nationally in rushing touchdowns (24), fifth in rushing yards per game (139.6 avg.) and fifth in scoring (12.0 points per game). Among ACC players, Conner tops the league in each of those four categories.
Despite being hindered by a hip injury in his last two games, Conner achieved history by eclipsing three Pitt single-season records set by Dorsett: rushing touchdowns (24), total touchdowns (24) and points (144). Dorsett held those records for 38 years, scoring 23 touchdowns (22 by rush) for 140 points in 1976.
Conner also set ACC records for rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns in a season. He surpassed Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams in both categories (22 total TDs, including 21 by rush, in 2009).
The Panthers will play Houston in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on January 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. The ESPN national telecast will kick off at noon (EST).
—PITT—
