Steelers' James Conner embraces unique haircut, planning more styles

PITTSBURGH -- James Conner started Pittsburgh Steelers training camp with an understated, basic mullet: short in the front and bushy in the back.

Now that Conner is a starting NFL tailback replacing an absent All-Pro, his hair elicits social media reaction -- especially after he added two tiger stripes through the middle of his head to accompany the mullet for Sunday's game at Cleveland.

After 192 yards on 36 touches in place of Le'Veon Bell, who's sitting out with an unsigned franchise tag, Conner plans to push the creative boundaries with each game.

"Yeah, we were gonna keep switching it up. So we'll see for next week," Conner said Wednesday from his locker. "It might be the same next week. I'm not sure yet. I gotta let it grow back a little bit. But I plan on having different styles throughout the year."

Conner confirmed that the funky cuts will be a weekly thing, but he has no immediate plans for the Week 2 'do against Kansas City.

It turns out at least one Steelers fan will share in his stylistic joy.

A fan on social media, @Nickmaraldo, tweeted before the Browns game that he would get Conner's haircut if the running back posted 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Conner went for 135 yards and two scores, and the fan kept his word.

Conner saw the pictures and called them "legendary." Leaving the locker room after his media session, Conner said he got a kick out of the pictures.