Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Monday that he was diagnosed with an aggressive bladder cancer, but that his physician deemed him cured following surgery. As a result, he intends to continue coaching this season.
Sanders’ bladder was removed as part of the surgical procedure, according to Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urologic oncology at the CU Cancer Center/UCHealth University of Colorado hospital.
It was lively. It was difficult. It was not an easy task. Sanders, who showed up for his news conference in overalls, a cowboy hat, and sunglasses that he removed after being choked up, acknowledged it wasn’t easy. It was a battle, but we prevailed.
As he begins his third season as the Buffaloes’ manager, Sanders, who turns 58 next month, talked on the eve of fall camp. To explain his diagnosis, he brought his medical team along. To serve as a bladder, a portion of his gut was rebuilt.
Sanders joked, “I was like Atlanta Falcons Prime at one point,” after claiming to have shed roughly 25 pounds.
Throughout the entire experience, he maintained his optimism.
According to team trainer Lauren Askevold, he never faltered or folded once. He wants to get up and get going, so you couldn’t ask for a nicer patient. Thus, it’s been fantastic. Although the voyage has been stressful, there has been a hidden blessing.
Last week, the dynamic coach made a social media announcement that she was back on campus and feeling fantastic. Due to rumors that he has been sick, he has missed football camps in Boulder this summer.
The Well Off Media production team, which documents Sanders and the Buffaloes, uploaded a video of the coach’s initial meeting with the players to YouTube on Sunday. Sanders remarked, “I don’t know if I’m ready mentally, emotionally,” in a segment from May 9 that occurred in the midst of the clip. I had to prepare a will, so yesterday and last night were difficult. It’s really difficult to consider that you might not be present.
Sanders has experienced more health problems. Since he had two toes amputated in 2021 due to blood clot problems while coaching at Jackson State, many of them have impacted his left foot. After undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from his right leg and another to straighten his left foot’s toes, he missed media day in 2023, his first year at Colorado.
Sanders agreed to a contract extension through the 2029 campaign in March.
The Buffaloes play Georgia Tech at Folsom Field on August 29 to begin the season. He won’t be coaching one of his boys for the first time in a long time. While Shilo, a safety, is in camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Shedeur Sanders was selected by the Cleveland Browns.
With a berth in the Alamo Bowl, Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes finished 9-4 the previous season after going 4-8 the season before. They have a lot of work ahead of them as they replace Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.
