The first time James Conner walked onto the practice field for organized team activities, he was slowed by a hamstring tweak that he incurred during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie minicamp.

The next year, Conner arrived at OTAs healthy, and he was rewarded with regular reps as the starting tailback all the while knowing he eventually would slide back down the depth chart once Le’Veon Bell showed up later that summer.

This year, Conner again is healthy, and again he’s the starter. This time, however, there is no asterisk next to his name. Bell is gone and, for certain, isn’t coming back. Conner is no longer the Steelers’ contingency plan.

If you thought that measure of job security changed the former Pitt star’s approach to offseason workouts and his grasp on the position, then you probably don’t know Conner.

“I haven’t earned anything yet,” Conner said last week after the fourth of 10 scheduled OTA workouts at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “That’s what training camp and everything is for. Everything is earned, not given.”

The 24-year-old Conner is coming off a season in which the Steelers running game hardly skipped a beat while Bell held out the season. Conner rushed for 973 yards and finished 10th in the NFL with 1,470 scrimmage yards despite missing three games near the end of the year with an ankle injury. Conner also was selected to the Pro Bowl.

But despite the accolades or the fact he is the most experienced player in his position group as he enters his third NFL season, Conner is keenly aware of the talent that is pushing him. The Steelers used a fifth-round pick on converted tight end Jaylen Samuels last season, and all he did in his second start subbing for Conner was rush for 142 yards in a win against the New England Patriots.

Then, the Steelers used a fourth-round pick this year to fortify the backfield with Benny Snell, a power runner from Kentucky.

So, Le’Veon or no Le’Veon, Conner refuses to be complacent.

“In this league, people are always coming and going,” Conner said. “Jaylen and Benny are talented.”

Determined to overcome injuries that ended his rookie season and interrupted his second, Conner has focused on his conditioning in the offseason. He is a slimmed-down version of the 233-pounder who is listed on the Steelers roster, although Conner doesn’t like specifying his weight because it fluctuates throughout the year.

“In this game, you’ve got to stay on the rise and continually be improving,” Conner said. “There is no staying the same. It’s either getting better or getting worse. The No. 1 thing in football is conditioning. If you’re conditioned, you can play fast, play hard.”

The work hasn’t gone unnoticed.

When center Maurkice Pouncey recently was asked about the team’s running backs, his first thought was Conner’s build.

“He looks good, doesn’t he?” Pouncey said. “I like that.”

Coach Mike Tomlin historically relies on one running back to get the bulk of the Steelers carries. It was no different last year without Bell. Conner was the bell cow until his injury, then Samuels took over.

This year, with three young running backs in the fold, could the Steelers spread out the carries? Conner is in favor of the idea.

“Who doesn’t like carrying the ball?” he said, “But look around the league, and a lot of teams are successful in doing well with multiple backs. That’s how you win games is with depth, and I’m all for it.”

In the first two weeks of OTAs, the Steelers have experimented with using Bell and Samuels in the backfield on certain formations. With his tight end background, Samuels provides an alternative in the passing game to Conner, who is more of a by-the-numbers runner and receiver.

“Conner has the total package, but when you can install other guys into the offense and watch how they move around and do their certain skill sets, it’s always a plus,” Pouncey said.

Add Snell to the mix and the Steelers have perhaps the youngest running back group in the league. Only three years separate Conner from Snell, who turned 21 in February. Samuels turns 23 in July.

Conner was a bulkier runner at Pitt before he transformed his body, and he sees similarities between his former self and Snell.

“He’s not shy of contact at all,” Conner said. “I’m excited to see him in pads. He’s been running good, catching good. Once he figures out the playbook and can play, we’ll see.”

Conner believes the trio can push each on the field and form a bond off it that can be beneficial to the Steelers, who are turning the page this year minus Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown.

“The friendships and relationships we have off the field helps us on the field,” he said. “Everything isn’t just competition and who can make the plays on the field. It’s important to be a good person and have good character. I’m learning that during my time in this league. It’s not really always the guy that makes the plays that stays around the longest.

“That’s a huge part of it, but there are a lot of other things that go into it as well.”

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