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How a student’s friendship with Auburn coach Bruce Pearl gave him the strength to beat leukemia
Auburn, Alabama — Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl often sneers and snarls his way through games. But off the court is a different matter.
“You see him on the court being tough and stuff to all the players, but there’s a whole, totally different side of Bruce outside of basketball — which is a nice, loving and caring person,” Auburn freshman Sam Cunningham told CBS News.
Cunningham’s unique perspective comes from his greatest struggle. In 2017, he was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 12. Not long after, someone asked Pearl to record a video for him.
“You’re going to beat this, son,” Pearl said in the video. “Cancer picked the wrong hombre — picked the wrong dude to mess with, OK.”
“Which was just real funny to me, ‘Cancer picked the wrong hombre, it picked the wrong dude to mess with,'” Cunningham said. “And that quote is what I kept with me when I got in my darkest days in the hospital and stuff.”
Through all his complications, through his relapse and through the days that felt like they would be his last, Sam kept watching that video, over and over.
Eventually, Pearl delivered the same lines in person, and they became friends. And then one day Pearl gave him another even more inspiring message.
“‘I tell you what, you’re going to get better, you’ll come to Auburn, and you’re going to be my assistant,'” Pearl said he told Cunningham. “And he takes me at my word.”
Cunningham was declared cancer free in March 2022. And today, he is the team manager, and he’s so happy to be here. In fact, Cunningham says Pearl’s encouragement may have saved his life.
“That truly healed me,” Cunningham said. “I didn’t think I’d really get to this point from all the complications I had. So that was pretty amazing. I’m just a miracle to be here right now.”
Come March Madness, college coaches across the country will be praying for a national championship. But at Auburn, Pearl will be asking for something far more consequential.
“In my prayers it’s, ‘God don’t let this thing relapse, take me, let Sam live,'” Pearl said.
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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.