Colorado coach Deion Sanders to have surgery to address blood clots in legs
Sanders has a history of blood clots and had two toes amputated in 2021
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders will undergo surgery on Friday morning to address two blood clots in his legs.
In a video posted on his son’s YouTube channel, Sanders said he recently visited with his doctors and it was discovered that he has two blood clots, one in his right leg and another in his left leg. As a result, Sanders said he will have a procedure to address those clots and restore “proper blood flow” in both legs.
Sanders, 55, has been dealing with health issues in recent years, including having his left big toe and second toe amputated in 2021 when he was the head coach at Jackson State. Sanders had surgery to correct a dislocated toe and nerve issues, but there were subsequent severe complications from the surgery that included blood clotting and circulation issues with his lower left leg. Those issues ultimately led to the removal of the two toes from Sanders’ left foot.
Since then, Sanders left Jackson State to accept the head-coaching job at Colorado. All the while, some of his health issues have persisted, leading to the Pro Football Hall of Famer navigating Colorado’s football facility either on a bicycle or a segway.
Sanders explained Thursday that two of the three toes remaining on his left foot are “hammer toes,” which is an abnormal bend to the middle joint of the toe. Doctors want to straighten those toes out, but cannot do so without proper blood flow. Sanders said he also has a foot “dislocation” that needs to be addressed.
Once he has his clots addressed via Friday’s surgery, the issues with his foot can be corrected via additional procedures, Sanders said.
Sanders: 'There's no talk of amputation'
Sanders met with doctors last week in his office on the Colorado campus. Footage from that meeting was shared on one of the affiliated social media channels that provides a behind-the-scenes look at Sanders’ world. A potential amputation of Sanders’ left foot was brought up during the meeting, but Sanders said Thursday that amputation is a worst-case scenario and is not currently under consideration.
“This is where we are now. There’s no talk of amputation, there’s no talk of any of that whatsoever,” Sanders said. “Now I can finally move forward and get this stuff fixed.”
Under Sanders’ watch, the Colorado roster has undergone a massive transformation this offseason by adding upwards of 50 transfers. The Buffs were one of the worst teams in the country in 2022 as they finished 1-11.
Sanders will make his Colorado coaching debut on Sept. 2 on the road against TCU. His first home game will be the following Saturday vs. Nebraska.
Sanders, even with the lingering health issues, made it clear that he intends to be on the sideline with his team.
“I ain’t going nowhere. I’m just trying to get all of this straight so when I walk that sideline, I can walk my walk because I’m going to talk my talk,” Sanders said.
