On Sunday, Tyler Boyd will play against one of his role models

In April of 2016, Tyler Boyd and James Conner were both supposed to be selected in the NFL Draft. They were the two stars at the University of Pittsburgh. While Boyd picked up 1,275 total yards during his last year of college football in 2015, Conner suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game of that season.

Then, in December of 2015, Conner was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. He participated in Pittsburgh’s winter workouts while undergoing chemotherapy, and Conner held onto the hope that he’d be able to play in the NFL one day.

In April, the day when Conner could have been drafted, he was in the middle of intense cancer treatment. He missed out on a lot, but he wouldn’t miss out on Boyd’s draft party. Conner was in the room with Boyd when he learned that the Bengals picked Boyd in the second round.

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Seven years later, Conner is the focal point of the Arizona Cardinals’ offense. Boyd has become one of the best slot receivers in the NFL with the Bengals. They’ll play against each other on Sunday at Arizona Cardinals Stadium.

Looking back at their relationship, Boyd calls Conner a role model in his life.

“I use these lessons he showed me in all aspects of my life,” Boyd said. “Football is one thing. It’s a team sport. You’ve got to lead by example. It’s more about how you lead off the field. You’ve got to go about things differently. Some things might frustrate you in life or get you out of character. But you’ve got to stay poised.”

Boyd and Conner both grew up in Pennsylvania. While Boyd was a four-star recruit and one of the most highly-touted high school players in the state, Conner didn’t make a name for himself until he became Pittsburgh’s starting running back in 2013.

“His dedication, determination and willingness to work hard stood out,” Boyd said. “Coming into college, he wasn’t recruited highly. He always had to play with a chip on his shoulder.”

In 2014, Boyd and Conner were one of the best running back-wide receiver duos in college football. They both received first team All-American recognition by different outlets. Conner rushed for 1,765 yards and was the ACC Offensive Player of the Year. Boyd caught 78 passes for 1,261 yards

Heading into 2015, the Panthers got a new head coach and a new starting quarterback who ended up playing in the NFL. Expectations were high, and then Conner tore his MCL in Week 1.

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When the season ended and Conner got his cancer diagnosis, Boyd received a reminder that “real life” is more important than football.

“With all the things that he had to go through and all the adversity he had to go through in his life, he stayed the same person that he was,” Boyd said. “A lot of people might get down on themselves, give up and take the short end of the stick. He maintained the way he has always been. He’s just a standup guy. He’s respectful. He’s well-rounded and family oriented.”

It still sticks with Boyd that Conner attended his pre-draft party. It could have been a reminder of what Conner was missing out on. Instead, Conner made a point to celebrate his friend.

“To see one of my best friends watch me achieve one of my long-time goals and him being ok and still fighting, that meant a lot,” Boyd said. “Relationships and authenticity mean much more to me than football. Football will end at some point. Your friendships will last forever if you’ve got good ones.”

Conner went on to make an unforgettable comeback. Less than four months after his final chemotherapy treatment, Conner started the season opener for the Panthers in 2016. He rushed for 1,092 yards, picked up first-team All-ACC honors and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Conner signed with the Cardinals in 2021, and he’s averaging 79.5 yards per game on 5.1 yards per carry this year.

“Even to this day, he’s a captain now who’s very respected around the league. He still works the way that he did at Pittsburgh,” Boyd said. “You want to be a guy like that in your locker room.”

Boyd has tried to be that presence in the Bengals’ locker room. He’s the longest-tenured player on the Bengals, and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have credited Boyd for being a mentor early in their careers.

Boyd has received fewer targets as Chase and Higgins developed into stars, and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has always been impressed with the way Boyd never complained about it. When they’ve discussed Boyd’s limited targets over the years, Boyd always says, “Those are going to come.”

Like Conner, Boyd has been a leader

“Tyler has always been a leader,” Bengals wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. said. “When I got here, he was the first person to take me out to eat and show me the city. He’s always that leader who’s energized and ready to go. He leads the locker room.”

“He’s a veteran,” wide receiver Trenton Irwin said. “He knows his stuff. He has been in the league for a while and been around teams that have done well and done bad. He has a lot of knowledge for us.”

Boyd is in the last year of his contract with the Bengals, and he’ll be a free agent in March. Since he got drafted in 2015, Boyd has seen the Bengals overhaul their roster and complete a total rebuild.

Boyd has been the constant, and the lessons he learned have made a difference in turning the franchise around.

“I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve put the work in,” Boyd said. “I came here each and every day, put my head down and worked. I never complained. I never threw anyone under the bus. I never was in it for myself. I always looked at the bigger picture. I’ve got to lift somebody up and help somebody else get rolling. This is a team sport. For me to be that guy and be looked up to like that, I did everything I was supposed to do.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tyler Boyd will play one of his role models in Bengals vs. Cardinals