Colorado coach Deion Sanders would undergo a medical procedure later Tuesday with hopes of being back at practice the next day and on the sideline this weekend against Iowa State.
After the Buffaloes’ Saturday night loss to TCU, Sanders said he thought he was dealing with blood clots again.
He ended his weekly news conference with a medical update, saying, “I can’t wait to get over this hurdle.” He added that it’s hereditary and “has nothing to do with working at the level I’m trying to compete at.”
The coach said he was in pain during a 35-21 loss at TCU last Saturday, alternating between sitting and limping along the sideline with his leg throbbing. He did not wear a shoe on his left foot in the second half and after the match he said it was “hurting like crazy”.
“I’m going to be OK,” said Sanders, whose Buffaloes (2-4, 0-3 Big 12) host No. 22 Iowa State (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday. “Pray, I’ll come back tomorrow because I’m not out of practice. I don’t plan on doing it.”
Sanders dealt with blood clot issues at Jackson State in 2021, with doctors amputating two of his toes on his left foot. He also skipped a Pac-12 Media Day session in 2023 following a procedure to remove a blood clot from his right leg and another to straighten the toes on his left foot.
On Tuesday, his good friend and longtime NFL cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones attended the media session as a show of support. Sanders appreciates all the text messages and phone calls from people expressing concern about his health. “I’ve got a lot of property, people talking, ‘You need to slow down.’ You need to take a break,’” Sanders said. “There’s nothing I could have done to stop what’s happening. Nothing I could have taken or anything I didn’t. It is what it is.”
Sanders, 58, spent time away from the team over the summer after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer. He revealed details of his treatment, which involved doctors reconstructing a section of his intestine to function as a bladder. He often needs to use the toilet so the school has introduced a portable sideline bathroom for him during games.
“I trust God with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind,” Sanders said Tuesday. “I’m going to go (surgery), and I’m going to sleep some of the best in the world because, I think, four hours the surgery is going to be.” I have never been raised a day in my life. I never drank, smoked or anything. But when I get these surgeries, I’m there on time. “
Associated Press reporting contributed to this report.
