Auburn's Hugh Freeze Reveals Positive Steps after Cancer Diagnosis

When Hugh Freeze disclosed his cancer diagnosis, for him, the healing, both mental and physical began to take hold.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze gave an update on his cancer diagnosis this week. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze informed the world of his prostate cancer diagnosis, an apparent change occurred. Normally, you can sense a palpable air of extreme confidence with Freeze, from sentence structure to body language, the head coach exuded a sense of self that remains rare. 

Yet, since that announcement, when Freeze speaks, a certain level of gravitas interjects itself into the conversation. When you ask for a health update, a more seriously composed answered flows from his mind.

"Thank you for asking,” Freeze said this week at Auburn spring practice. “I’ve tried to decide how I would approach the public view of this or the public knowledge of this. I’m really transparent. Probably, maybe I don’t know if you should be. I’m thankful for all the doctors and the insight that they have. I struggle believing that I actually have cancer because I feel great. I’m in probably better shape than I’ve been in 10 years."

With so much on his mind, especially football, the disbelief still surrounds the head coach. Freeze thinks of offensive formations and depth charts and not oncology. Finding light in a dark situation, he mentioned taking his best physical form in a decade, with a nod and a smile. 

More Than Football

As Freeze resides in the early stages of knowing the scope of his illness. With so much unknown, he begins to unpack the known and awaits the unknown.

"I had my 30 minutes to an hour of self-pity and anger probably and then, truthfully, I really flipped the switch and said I might get a chance to practice what I’ve preached for 33 years of how to walk through another challenge or another gut punch that you get or news that you get that you don’t like. I get to model that for our kids and staff. Right now, the challenge for Jill and I is just deciding what is the right next step."

When life flashes before your eyes and mortality falls into question, perception probably changes. Freeze fully comprehends his illness, but also seems to see the bigger picture. The diagnosis and subsequent steps will unfold in due time. Yet, you will not find the Auburn head coach self-pitying. Instead, he widens his focus and sees life in the fullest picture.

Bottom Line

It goes without saying that many wish Hugh Freeze the absolute best during this journey. From his words, you can tell that he remains fully alert and ready to take the football program to the next step. Football is Hugh Freeze's job, but he knows that life exists outside the game. Make no mistake, the competitor within wants to not only beat the disease but also defeat that school in Tuscaloosa with equal intensity.

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