Bruce Pearl talks about his journey to Auburn

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When Bruce Pearl sat down to shoot the latest episode in AL.com's [For Real] series, he didn't know what the goal of the piece was and he hadn't been told the questions I would ask.

As a matter of fact, I had never met Bruce Pearl before, so when he walked into the room and I explained that we would be focusing less on the current state of Auburn's basketball program and more on the stories and situations that led him to "the loveliest village on the Plains", I wasn't quite sure how enthusiastic he would be.

I now realize that I could have told him we were going to run a marathon and he would have given 110%.

During the interview process, I learned two things about Bruce Pearl:

The first is that Bruce Pearl's energy and enthusiasm know no bounds. He's a guy who talks fast and walks faster, who gets up before dawn with an uncanny level of energy and determination that stems from, as he told me, "a healthy sense, and fear, of failure."

The second is that it's unlikely you'll ever to meet a more passionate individual ... and the passion that Bruce Pearl brings to the table is exactly what Auburn's basketball program needed.

Pearl's passion extends beyond just winning basketball games, however.

As I said earlier, I hadn't had the chance to meet Bruce Pearl before I sat down with him for this interview, but I had spent some time around him when Pearl participated in the Regions Celebrity Golf Tournament in May of this year.

Still the "new guy" at AL.com, I was putting together a lighthearted video of every participant's swing. Seeing as how I needed lots of footage to produce a quality piece, I followed Bruce around for a few holes.

The Regions Celebrity Golf Tournament was open to the public, and a sizeable number of fans wearing both crimson and orange were in attendance. Situations like that, of course, lead to coaches being asked for autographs until their hands ached. While the event certainly can't be described as cutthroat, you can bet that anytime Nick Saban, Gus Malzahn, Hugh Freeze, Bo Jackson, Dan Mullen, Bruce Pearl and Avery Johnson are together, the competitive spirit will be alive and well.

Though the true goal of the tournament is to raise money for a good cause, it is still a competition, which is why it was so encouraging for me to watch Bruce Pearl oblige not only every autograph request, but also attempt to make a genuine connection with each person who approached him.

One moment in particular stood out.

Pearl was on the 8th or 9th hole of the tournament and a considerable distance from the clubhouse where attending fans has massed. When a young Auburn fan nervously approached Pearl for an autograph, his father encouraging him from a few feet away, Bruce happily agreed. It was then the kid realized he didn't have a pen and became visibly upset and embarrassed.

So what did Pearl do? He left his group and walked with the father and son to go find a pen. He then not only signed multiple items, but also spent some time talking to the young boy. The result was both father and son walking away with smiles that extended from one ear to the other ... and Pearl having to basically run to catch up with his group.

Seeing that candid moment and then sitting with Pearl for a lengthy interview gave me a true sense of why he is a great fit at Auburn: As competitive and motivated to win as Bruce Pearl is, what matters most to him is making a positive impact on the lives of those around him.

You'll see Pearl's passion in the featured video at the top of this article, however I wanted to share that story to emphasize that Bruce doesn't just talk a big game, he lives it.

Football will always be king in Alabama, but after sitting down with the head coaches at Auburn and Alabama (Avery Johnson's interview will be released later this week), it's abundantly clear that basketball has a bright future in this state.

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