Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders detailed the medical issue he has battled throughout the offseason in a Monday news conference.
The coach, who turns 58 on Aug. 9, wasn’t with his team during summer camp in June. The Pro Football Hall of Famer revealed it was because he had previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer. The tumor was discovered during a routine vascular scan.
Sanders’ doctor, Janet Kukreja, said her team removed his bladder and used parts of his intestine to create a new one. The cancer is now gone, and he will continue to coach this season.
“The process wasn’t easy,” Sanders said of the doctors giving him multiple options to treat the cancer.
Sanders said he was aware of the surgery before the NFL Draft in April. However, he told his sons, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur and Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo, that he just had a foot issue.
The coach explained he didn’t want his sons to have more to worry about as they prepare for their NFL careers.
“I wanted them to focus on making the team and not focused on Dad,” Deion Sanders said. “So they really don’t know. My daughters do and this joker right here. Much love to my son, [Deion Sanders Jr.], who [didn’t] leave my side since we found what was taking place.”
Deion Sanders said he’s still adjusting to changes after the surgery. The coach has a catheter and said Colorado will have a porta-potty on the sideline, just in case he needs to use the bathroom during practices or games.
Deion Sanders made a will in May, according to a clip posted to Deion Sanders Jr.’s YouTube channel on Sunday. The coach, though, isn’t letting the fear of death weigh on his mind.
“I’ve got too much life in me to be thinking about death — we gotta win a darn championship,” he said.
Deion Sanders’ health is still a concern. He has had 14 surgeries (including the removal of his bladder) since 2021. For now, he appears eager to return to coaching after overcoming one of the biggest medical problems of his life.
