James Conner Courage Award 'huge honor' for Cardinals running back, high school wrestler

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner shared a special moment with a high school wrestler Monday night at a high school awards show in Pennsylvania, a moment that the NFL player called a "huge honor."

At the awards show, the Northwest Pennsylvania High School Sports Awards, Conner presented Xavier Dombkowski, a wrestler at Fort LeBoeuf High School, with the first-ever James Conner Courage Award, which was renamed in the running back's honor before the show.

Conner beat Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2015. Dombkowski was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in April 2023 before returning to wrestle in December 2024.

“I just told (Dombkowski) to keep going and that I knew exactly what he’s going through,” said Conner, who went to McDowell High School in Erie, Pennsylvania. “I like his resilience and just told him all the best going forward. It’s a huge surprise and a huge honor, and I’m thankful for it.”

The crowd at the awards show, held at the Warner Theatre in Erie by the Erie Times-News, gave Conner and Dombkowski a standing ovation during the presentation.

Dombkowski said it was a moment he wouldn't forget.

“Growing up, (Conner) was kind of like a local legend,” Dombkowski said. “I wasn’t really knowing what to expect coming into this, but it ended up being a really great moment.”

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.