Deion Sanders Reveals Serious Diagnosis

Pro Football Hall of Famer and University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders announced he was diagnosed with bladder but his oncologist cured him after surgery during a press conference on Monday (July 28) via the Associated Press.

Dr. Janet Kukreja, the director of urologic oncology at the CU Cancer Center/UCHealth University of Colorado hospital, confirmed that Sanders' bladder was removed as part of the procedure as he and other members of the medical team joined the coach during his press conference. Sanders, who turns 58 next month, confirmed that he plans to coach the Buffaloes during the upcoming college football season, his third with the program.

“My sons have not left my side since,” Sanders said. “This wasn’t easy. I think I dropped 25 pounds… Dealing with the catheter… Dealing with going to the bathroom. I can’t pee like I used to, it’s totally different.”

Sanders' confirmation came on the eve of Colorado's fall camp. The coach returned to the University of Colorado campus last week, posting he was "Back and Feeling Great!" after previously missing summer football camps amid his illness.

'Well Off Media,' the production company run by his son, Deion Sanders Jr., shared a video of Sanders' first meeting with his team on Sunday (July 27).

The video included a clip of Sanders addressing the upcoming season in May.

“I don’t know if I’m ready mentally, emotionally. Last night was tough, yesterday was tough, because I had to make a will. That’s not easy at all, to think that you may not be here," he said.

Sanders has dealt with foot issues during his coaching career, which included having two left toes amputated due to blood clot issues in 2021 during his tenure at Jackson State, and underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from his right leg and another to straighten his left foot toes, which caused him to miss media day ahead of his first season with Colorado in 2023.

Sanders recently signed a five-year, $54 million contract extension this offseason after going 13-12 in two seasons at Colorado, which included a 9-4 finish in 2024.