Deion Sanders is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, the football coach at the University of Colorado, and the only athlete ever to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. But the last few years have been a tougher challenge to his health than any opponent ever was during his football career.
And he’s still finding a way to come out victorious.
“I got my life back,” Sanders said in a nationally televised interview this week. “I got my swagger back.”
Sanders revealed during a “Good Morning America” appearance that he’s finally cancer-free. The blood clots that attacked him years ago — resulting in the amputation of multiple toes — and returned last year, forcing him to undergo an aspiration thrombectomy procedure in his left leg, were not even part of the conversation.
DEION SANDERS SAYS HE NEVER QUESTIONED GOD DURING HIS BATTLE WITH BLADDER CANCER
“I’m cancer free. I’m good,” Sanders said. “Great doctors in Colorado that [have] brought me through. God has brought me through. I’m thankful, I’m healthy. I got my swagger back. Like, I’m ready to go, coach my butt off. And I’m having a good time.
“But early detection was key getting on it early, because you know amputation, so they were checking for something else and stumbled upon this. So early detection helped me out tremendously.”
Blood clots forced Sanders to have surgery in 2023 to improve his circulation. But last year he began experiencing severe leg pain and concerns about the recurring clots. That led to the clot-removing procedure. All that atop the 2025 diagnosis of an aggressive form of bladder cancer that was discovered during one of his regularly scheduled vascular exams.
The cancer treatment included doctors removing his bladder and reconstructing a new one using part of his intestine.
That intended solution to one problem caused other issues.
“Now you’re sitting in the room, don’t know what’s what, can’t control your bladder,” Sanders said. “You got a whole new bladder. Your bladder don’t know you, you don’t know it. You’re peeing in the bed. I remember going to a speaking engagement and the first thing I do, and we left that morning, like 7 a.m. and I had to be there at 830. First thing I do is grab my crotch. Because I’m like, oh, my God, I hope I haven’t peed on myself. I didn’t bring another change of clothes.
“When you’re playing a football game, night game, we played, we fly back on the plane. First thing you do is wake up and you grab your crotch. Oh, my God, I hope I haven’t peed on myself.”
Those potentially embarrassing episodes somehow made Sanders money. He signed on to be a spokesman for Depend and its disposable adult incontinence underwear.
“I don’t have to be afraid to travel anymore,” Sanders said. “I don’t have to be afraid to have a good night’s sleep. I have the product that helps me.”
With his health issues seemingly in retreat, Sanders is ready to take on another challenge that he’s more comfortable addressing — coaching the Buffaloes in the upcoming season.
“Winning,” Sanders answered when asked what he’s looking forward to next. “And I’m healthy. I got my health back. I got my swagger back … I got my me back. You know, last year, this time, I’m fighting cancer. Didn’t know which way it was gonna go …
“But I’m fully back now. Last year, [at] this time it it wasn’t a good look.”
