Sutton Burnard, the senior Big Bear linebacker who has been hospitalized since being injured in the Bears’ game Friday night, had a good day on Sunday – less than 48 hours after having emergency brain surgery at Riverside Community Medical Center in Moreno Valley.

“Things are looking a lot better right now,” said Big Bear coach Dave Griffiths, who drove down to the medical center to stay with Burnard today. “He’s made some strides and is progressing at a better rate than was expected.”

Burnard, who slipped into unconsciousness before surgery Friday night/Saturday morning, is still being held in intensive care at the facility, but was able to talk and interact with visitors without a breathing tube. He also was able to sit at a bit of an incline, enough to where he was able to watch television.

“We talked about a bunch of stuff,” Griffiths said. “He was awake and aware the entire time. We were watching the Chargers game for a while because Sutton is a big fan. He was definitely happy to see them win.”

No specific timetable is in place for Burnard’s departure from the hospital, and Griffiths plans on heading back down on Monday to check in on his progress. Either way though, it seems as if Burnard is on the right path after an extremely scary situation for himself, his family and the entire Big Bear community. We’ll keep updating the situation as news develops.

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