How a student’s friendship with Auburn coach Bruce Pearl gave him the strength to beat leukemia [Video]

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, …