Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner returned to his Erie, PA, hometown Monday for a presentation of the Courage Award at the Northwest Pennsylvania High School Sports Awards event. He just didn’t know how special it would be.
Conner was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in 2015 while at the University of Pittsburgh, but successfully fought the cancer and now enters his eighth season in the NFL.
Xavier Dombkowski, a wrestler at Fort LeBoeuf High School in the Erie area, was diagnosed in April, 2023, with the same lymphoma as Conner, and was back on the mat eight months later in December.
Minutes before meeting Dombkowski, Conner was informed by the Erie Times-News that the Courage Award was being renamed and that he would be presenting the first-ever James Conner Courage Award to the wrestler.
When he did, both received a stirring standing ovation. During an embrace, Conner pointed to a scar on Dombkowski’s neck, the telltale spot where the swollen lymph nodes were first detected.
Conner, who attended McDowell High School in Erie, said afterward, via GoErie. “I just told (him) to keep going and that I knew exactly what he’s going through. I like his resilience and just told him all the best going forward.”
As for the new name for the award, Conner said, “It’s a huge surprise and a huge honor, and I’m thankful for it.”
Said Dombkowski, “Growing up, (he) was kind of like a local legend. I wasn’t really knowing what to expect coming into this, but it ended up being a really great moment.”
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