Same As Always, And Like Never Before: When Brandon Thomas, a talented high school linebacker in Eastern
Washington, was diagnosed with cancer, a leg amputation gave him his best chance at survival. Two years later, Thomas
is more than surviving: the senior is thriving as a student and a player, dominating on the field, weighing his options to play
in college and reflecting on how his love of football powered his inspiring recovery. By
Greg Bishop
.
When Bo Chose Baseball: We all remember Bo Jackson as the ultimate two-sport star, but he might not have made it to
MLB if the hapless 1980s Buccaneers hadn’t mucked up his NFL ambitions. In an excerpt from his new biography,
Jeff
Pearlman
explores a forgotten fork in Bo’s path to baseball and football stardom.
Also in this issue: Leading Off: A snapshot of the Heisman race, contender by contender: Blake Corum, C.J. Stroud, Stetson Bennett, Caleb
Williams, Hendon Hooker and Bryce Young.
Scorecard: Alex Prewitt on Qatar and the art of greenwashing, which is sports organizations claiming to be more
eco-conscious than they really are.
SI Gameplan: Mark Bechtel reviews Netflix’s Redeem Team documentary.
SI Eats: Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio discusses his fandom of the North Carolina Men’s Basketball Team and what meal
he would make for the entire team if requested.
SI Full Frame: The U.S.’s last strong World Cup run from 2002.
MLB offseason forecast: The Top 25 free agents this offseason.
The World At His Feet: Bert Patenaude is highlighted as the USMNT’s shining star at the very first World Cup.
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