#Steelers’ James Conner opens up about tackling cancer and racism

Before he was a cancer survivor, before he authored a compelling new book entitled “Fear Is A Choice,” James Conner was just another black man in America…targeted while Playing Football While Black.

“Growing up playing football, and people on the other team calling me the N-word and stuff,” the Steelers running back told The Post by phone. ““I’m not gonna name schools and make headlines with that.

“It’s nothing new.”

Neither is racism. What is new is a national and global awakening and movement for equality.

“There’s a lot of injustice in this country, and police brutality, and it needs to be changed,” Conner said.

“Me personally, I’ve never been a victim of police brutality, but I’ve seen injustice all over the news with our most recent ones, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor — she’d been murdered by three cops and they’re still walking out free. That’s one of millions of injustice events that’s been going on.”

The Colin Kaepernick Bandwagon gets more crowded by the day, and it appears inevitable that the end of his NFL blackballing is near. Fear was a choice once for Kaepernick. And he too never let fear deter or distract or defeat him, and he deserves to get his long-lost chance after four years.

“I hope he does, if that’s where his heart is and he still wants to continue to play football,” Conner said. “I know he’s a very talented player.

“It’s kinda crazy, he was protesting years ago about the same things that are still going on. So I hope he gets an opportunity.

“But more importantly, I hope that he continues to preach his message, which I know he will ‘cause I know how passionate he is about it.”

There is greater understanding and at least acceptance for some that kneeling during the national anthem was never about the flag or the military.

“It’s not about disrespect for the flag, it’s about the injustice,” Conner said. “It’s sort of tiring to continue to explain that to people who don’t get it, and it’s something so obvious. I’ve had a brother who served in our military, two grandfathers served. It’s not about the flag, it’s about what they say the flag stands for. Equal rights for everybody. I don’t know how much more obvious it can be.”

Conner, 25, embraces his standing as one of sports’ most inspirational figures, a two-star recruit out of Erie, Pa. who overcame cancer to become a Beast Mode running back.

“Incredible feeling,” he said. “Cancer really doesn’t discriminate, it touches people of all ages, colors and all that. I think everybody knows somebody who’s been affected by cancer in some way, whether going through it or a family member or close friend or however it may be. I felt like I’m able to reach a lot of audiences, and it’s an awesome feeling to just be me and where I come from and still inspire all these people.”

Conner, who has been free from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for four years, has reached out over the years to so many young cancer patients and survivors, be it during hospital visits or before Steelers games or via the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They touched his life, and he touched theirs.

“But not every story has story has a good ending and a good comeback story,” Conner says sadly.

He lost his beloved grandmother Ruby last July to breast cancer. Conner drew strength from her loving support during his agonizing chemotherapy sessions. He carries her memory with him every day… and on his iPhone.

“I have screenshots from my grandmother who was texting me prayers to pray about and just life lessons,” Conner said. “She told me to pray for the strength, energy and the mindset. She told me to pray that every day and so that’s what I do, and it’s taken me really, really far.”

Her original cancer diagnosis had come before his. “She beat it once and it came back,” Conner said.

It came back with a vengeance. “It was tough,” Conner said. “Knowing she’s in a better place now, it puts me at ease a little bit. She was a fighter and an incredible person, incredible woman of faith, taught me great character, taught me how to put people first, and give more than receive. That was tough seeing her fight.”

He knew her as Grandmomma. Toward the end, she wrote letters to family members. Conner has his — “I Love You James” — framed.

“She wrote everybody letters that we can hold onto,” Conner said. “She knew she didn’t have much time left.”

For James Conner, fear was not a choice. Tears are.