in one of them i shall be laughing. and so it will be as if all of the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night. she added, i love you, i miss you. i'll try to keep looking up. tonight on "unguarded with rachel nichols." baseball legend joe torre talks playoffs. saying good-bye to dareic jeter and the future of alex rodriguez. >> i think we are all curious to see alex come back. >> the mvp good guy kevin durant on today's sports culture and how even he is the target of hateful social media. >> people are hoping that i get hurt. i heard racist remarks. i heard everything. >> and the cincinnati bengals, devin stiff shares an update on his 4-year-old daughter whose battle with cancer has captured

hearts all over the world. >> the hardest moment for me was listening to the doctor i only had half a chance of having my daughter in my life. welcome to "unguarded." imagine getting a job when you are 20. then staying with the same company until you are 74. that's the 54-year relationship joe torre has had with baseball. as a player, torre made nine all-star appearances. as a manager won four world series with the yankees. now the sports executive vice president of operations. so as the the baseball playoffs dominate october. we figured there was no better person to check in with. here is something you might not know. torre has a personal story that touches on one of the most difficult issues in sport right now. domestic violence. we talked to him about all of it in this very revealing

conversation. well it is great catching you in the heart of the baseball playoffs. when you manage the yankees this was the time of year a lot of your teams just really excelled. sports dynasties in general are becoming more aware. certainly most of us have never been in the middle of one. what is it like? >> you never think about it. you are thinking abut. we are in the playoffs. you get the tunnel vision that you have to do. the fact that it didn't come to me until i was 56 years old. and then it came, every year. it was wow. and i had a great group. i had a bunch of grownups. you dent see that often. >> derek jeter one of the fixtures, of your time at the yankees. at the last home game at yankee stadium before he retired. he does the derek jeter thing. walk off rbi. wins the game. crazy. what first word came out of your

mouth when heap h hit the ball? >> you got to let me build up to this. they brought a bunch of former teammates of his. and myself. and -- he says they're going to walk him. they're going to walk him. and -- i didn't think they would. i said, no they've won't. and kiddingly, i said, because i am in the position. i said, if he walks him we'll suspend them. >> absolutely. >> make sure he gets penalize ford that. derek gets the first pitch off to right field. lake i ha like i have seen this act before. but he has always bane guy that basically can will himself to do things like that. >> of course the other former player, a lot of people squ yas abut. what was it like for you going through a bitter battle with the league, his suspension. your former player. a long history with him. you work for the league now? >> well, just being a baseball person. i was sad for him.

knowing alex. knowing how important the game of baseball is to him. curious where he is coming back next year. i know physically he will be okay. >> mentally. >> who knows. he has the taken a year out of his career at a crucial time. you know, agewise. we are curious to see al, come back. >> want to ask you abut one of the big issues in sports right now. domestic violence conversation continue across several leagues. it's now to some people, to talk abut out it this much. you devoted your foundation. safe at hem ome to this issue. it comes from personal experience. awe all when i was a kid. my dad abused my mom. when my mom put dishes on the table. he didn't like it. he threw them against the wall. i was in the room, he was a detective. he did go for the revolver, i was in the room for that.

9, 10-year-old. and i never really put the nervousness that i experienced as a kid or the low self-esteem. i didn't go out for my high school baseball team. as a freshman. because the i didn't think i was good enough. i had a lot of feelings i thought i was born with. then i want to a symposium. therapy, whatever you want to call it. and discovered a lot of things that went on in my household affected my feelings. and it was a revelation for me. when we started off, safe at home foundation. adrian peterson caught my attention. it involved the child. adrian peterson was just doing something he learned from his dad. it's something that i think we all need to be made aware of. this stuff has been going on for years. it's been ape very uncomfortable subject to talk about. i think now with the nfl bringing it into the light, that people have forced to talk about

it. hopefully, be more proactive in doing something about it. torre worked with victims of child aboss couldn't come at a more important time. yesterday, former bears general manager, jerry angelo told "usa today," the nfl swept hundreds and hundreds of domestic violence cases under the rug during his 30 years work in team offices. more troubling news for a troubled league. all right. as for baseball, the playoffs continue saturday on tbs, 4:00 p.m., and fox at 8:00 p.m. eastern. as for "unguarded." stick with us. after this break, some very real talk, from the nba's most valuable player, kevin durant. ♪

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quul at highlights of last season's playoffs, the most memorable moment didn't come on the court but a guy in a suit. remember kevin durant giving the acceptance speech thanking his mom. >> kevin is off the street. putting clothes on our back, food on the table. when you didn't eat, you made sure we ate you. went to sleep hungry. you are the real mvp. >> such an incredibly powerful moment. not just because it was so emotional. durant's entire speech was framed in kindness and gratit e gratitude. the exact opposite of the feeling often running through the world of sports and frankly our culture at large these days. we wanted to tackle the bigger issue. who better to bring in than kevin himself. kd start aid program, teaching kids to be a little nicer in the world a little more kind. i caught up with him earlier. take a listen. welcome, kef, before we get to everything else. i still have to ask you, months

later, how often does some one come up to you and talk to you but that mvp speech? >> every day. every day. i was glad i was able to inspire some people. and give some people some hope, you know it was -- it was well-received. >> sports culture today has all the talk abut the haters and there is also this idea of, hey it doesn't matter if some one loves me or hates me as long as they're talking about me. how do you think we got here? actually being thought of as a good person doesn't seem to be as important any more in the world of sports. hey, people are looking at me. >> we are in the spotlight so much. it changes perspective on things. how people view you. the word we speak. and actions. go a long with with people. social media is out of proportion as well. being conscious. a role model. setting example for kids coming up. once you look at it that way. you start to realize. being held accountable for your

actions and words. you know, just trying to make the world a better place, by starting with yourself. >> internet culture such a big part of sports today. you and i have talked abut the crazy messages that athletes get on social media. if some one doesn't like the color of the jacket you wear to an awards show. can you give our viewers a little taste of how far fans will go with what they've write to athletes? >> well it goats pretty far. i have heard some of the most cruel things over social media. you know, people hoping that i get hurt. i have seen, you know, hope i tear my acl, racist remarks. everything. we live in society where it is just everybody loves conflict. everybody loves hate. everybody loves to talk people down. or, be negative. so once you go to the other side of things and be positive with people, kind of, it's, you know people don't respond to it so

well. >> it is not easy. you have been spending time with kids working on a pr jeoject, strong and kind. trying to teach them to have the values your mother taught you. >> i never wanted to change who i was bah the crowd was doing something. i wanted to be myself. being strong, kind, just a part of me. so authentic to me. i just wanted to show everybody what i believe in. >> let's talk about pb for a minute. how does lebron james going back to cleveland change the landscape of the nba right now? >> he is such a great player. he can definitely change the franchise by his presence. should be a fun year. i am looking for ward to it. >> an you know as soon as lebron went home to cleveland it ramped up all the talk about you possibly going to play for your hometown team, washington wizards. you and lebron are good friends. as he given you advice how to focus yourself through the season. stay with the basketball. you know all speculation and

conversation its getting louder as the season goes on. >> yeah, i got two more years on the contract. so, i am just trying to -- to stay focussed on, what we have here. in oklahoma city. i am not worried about the other stuff. when that time comes, you know i will sit down with the people that mean the most to pea and talk it through. as of right now i enjoy working. and, russell westbrook. and the train terz. just trying to achieve our goal one day. we will see. >> well i know as you work for the title. this coming year. see your mom in the stand rooting for you. hopefully have a chance for a speech. thanking her end of the season, right? >> yeah, hopefully. we will see. >> of course, i'm any sure the next big speech, kevin really wants to give is after he wins his first nba title. we are going to have to see how that plays out. in the meantime though, some very thoughtful stuff from him. at just 26 years old. all right, coming up. you've will hear from the bengals devin still, whose 4-year-old daughter is inspiring

millions. first our nikon unguarded moment of the week. last night the texans looks like they were going to stage a come back. they clawed their way become to 33-28. they had a chance to take the leaden the fourth quarterable. they blew it. first receiver, andre johnson fumbles. then quarter back, ryan fitzpatrick. yep. another fumble. the colts win and texans are left to wonder what might have been.

welcome back. if you were among millions

watching bengals patriots last sunday. you noticed the moment football didn't matter any more and all that did was cincinnati tackle devin still. the patriots, you know, the opponent, they staged a tribute to still and his adorable 4-year-old daughter leah, fighting stage four cancer. even the new england cheerleaders, wore still's 75 bengals jersey. moving. i want to welcome devin still in here. what was the like in the moment, devon, we saw the tears rolling down your face. it seemed so moving. >> it was amazing to see. coming, running off the field. look up at the big screen, seeing my daughter performing the video with brave kids fighting cancer. then being able to look over see the cheerleaders wearing my jersey to support the cause. an amazing moment for me. >> and leah's tumor was in the abdomen. you posted the video of you giving her a pep talk on the way to the hospital. then you posted her picture after her six hour surgery that removed the tumor. give us the update.

how is she doing right now? >> she is doing pretty well. starts her last round of chemofriday. they gave her a week to get rehydrated. gain her weight back. so the chemo wasn't have the big effect on her this time around. hopefully chemogoes good. able to take away cancer cells that spread throughout her body. >> i know things are looking up. i can't imagine when you first heard the news from doctors about her cancer. they only gave her a 50/50 chance to survive. what was the hardest moment for you. you had to explain all this to her and go through it as the a parent. >> i think the hardest moment for me was listening to the doctor tell me that i only had half a chance of having my daughter in my life. i think that was hard on me and hard on her mother as well. and the rest of our family because the as a parent you never want to hear that your child, your child only has a 50% chance of living you. want to hear they have 100% chance. >> yeah, just heartwrenching. we have heard so much that has been wrong with the nfl in the past few months. but with the cincinnati bengals

did after you got that news, it really is pretty amazing. they ended up cutting you the summer for football reasons. then they resigned you to the practice squad, just so you could keep your health insurance. then they decided to donate all profits from your jersey sales to pediatric cancer research. >> they have been amazing in the process. from day one i called them and told them my daughter had cancer. they allowed me to take off from otas, take care of things that wasn't necessarily football. and when i came back, they, they definitely helped me with dealing with being away from my daughter, while she is dealing with cancer. and like you said, they started selling my jersey and donating 100% of the proceed to cancer research in cincinnati. so they have stepped up as an organization to help out the cancer community. >> you have also watched your daughter, just be incredibly brave and generous. we saw her take part in a psa, truly brave. to raise money to help other kids. what have you learned about your 4-year-old through all this?

>> that she is strong. she is stronger than, than, anybody that i have ever known. to be able to fight for your life and still walk around with a smile on your face. still have that energetic personality is amazing to me. definitely inspiring people all over the world. >> that's for sure. devon, we wish leah, a speedy recovery. your jersey holds the record for most sold in a single day in bengals team history. i have a feeling there is going to be a few more people headed to the website to peck up number 75. we appreciate it. >> thank you for having me. >> what a great story. all right. we have more nfl coming up for you on "unguarded. stick with us through the break. gq magazine calls him one of the most stylish athletes in the country. the new york giants call him captain. and victor cruz joins us to talk football. and what is it look to got a call from barack obama. >> hello, can you please hold for the president? i was like, absolutely i will hold for the president.

i'm rachel nichols welcome back to "unguard." with all the nfl troubles, there 'tis nothing americans like more than sitting down in front of their televisions and watching football. literally nothing. for three years in a row the number one tv series in the country has been nbc's sunday night football. and this sunday night match up is a good old-fashioned nfc east brawl between the giants/eagles. earlier i caught up with one of the giants' team captains, wide receiver, victor cruz, take a listen. welcome, victor. we have to start with the huge game this weekend. take us inside what rivalry games in the nfl are like, how do they feel to the players? >> rivalry games are amazing. definitely attention to detail. practice field.

the meeting rooms. definitely intense. intense week. all over social media. friend, family, asking me what our game plan is as if they understand what is going on. definitely an intense week. >> your team is on the great role right now. you won three straight after the 0-2 start. the counter to that is that the nfl has taken the huge hit with the public this season. what was it like for guys look you. all the stories, mushrooming over the last month. what was that like to experience it. where do you think the nfl its with earning back the public trust? >> it was tough for me personally just seeing everything unfold. because, you know, you want to see this league represented in the right light you. want to see your favorite players, doing things that are positive, not, not the latter. so it's tough. i think the nfl is climbing back to getting a good graces. they're working their way back into the good graces of the families. of these fans. obviously there is hurdles that need to be jumped. but they're working through that and getting to where they need to be. >> yeah, there are nearly 1,700,

nfl players, most of whom do make news off the field for good things. you are about to stage a hall when event. to benefit kids in education you. have been involved in initiatives to help kids from underserved areas make it to college and stay in college. what part of the desire comes from your own experiences. >> all of it. actually. i was a guy that didn't do the best while i was in college. in and out of college. due to academic issues. the thing for me was, i knew huh to get to college. i didn't know how to stay in college. i didn't know that i needed to go to study halls. i didn't know that i needed to study a lot. had time management to give myself time to study and do proper things. so that's what i want to instill, particularlien the youth of these urban neighborhoods. that don't really have some one there to push them. off awe when you think about what your life is like growing up. what it is look now. you are on the front row of the fashion shows, a mainstay in "gq" and imagine a real, is this really my life moment came when you picked up the phone and it

is president obama calling you. where were you? what was happening when the phone sflang. >> -- phone sflang arang. i was at fat sill tethe facilit. the foe call comes through. can you hold for the president? absolutely i will. >> the president was impressed by your story, perseverance. you weren't drafted into the nfl now. a team captain for the new york giants. for people who don't play football is there any lesson for them in your story about life in general. >> absolutely. don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. because the i am living, breathing proof that -- no matter what you think, no matter what wrongs go on in your life. things that may happen. you can reach or ultimate goal and the pinnacle of cat rear that you want to reach through hard work and dedication. >> thank you so much. we appreciate it. >> no problem. thank you.

>> always fun there. talking ing ting to victor. one impressive side of a very impressive young man. all right that will do it for tonight's show. you can get more unguarded fix, following me on twitter and facebook and on the web at cnn.com/unguarded. see you next friday night, "unguard." where the end of the game its just the start of the story. good night. how does the joke begin? three men in a bar? but it's not a bar. imagine the bronx. a corner bodega, maybe a luncheonette, a diner. three men strictly by coincidence find themselves at the same place at the same time. sitting at the counter and across the room.