Beloved College Football Coach Announces Serious Health Battle

University of Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders broke the news to his team and fans that he may not be suiting up for the upcoming season.

Sanders, 57, said his battle with cancer has left him shaken, and he admitted being afraid he “might not be here” come the team’s opening game on Aug. 29. His announcement followed a surgery this summer to remove his gallbladder after a cancerous tumor was detected.

In a video message posted Sunday night, the Buffaloes coach said he is struggling with the surreality of writing his last will and testament.

“I don’t know if I’m ready mentally, emotionally,” Sanders said in the video, which was dated May 9 at 6:10 a.m. “Last night was tough, yesterday was tough because I had to make a will. That’s not easy at all, to think that you might not be here.”

The clips was part of a larger interview conducted by his son, Deion Jr., for his Well Off Media YouTube channel.

At a press conference on Monday, Sanders thanked God for the good life he has lived and said his battle has turned a positive corner.

“Slowly but surely I’ve built myself back up into where I’m able, I’m strong, I’m ready,” he said at the Touchdown Club in the Dal Ward Athletic Center.

He joked that the weight loss from his surgery would quickly turn around. “I’ma get these overalls up like no other,” he quipped.

“It has been a tremendous journey, and I’m truly thankful that God has been so good. God is so good, you have no idea,” he continued, clasping his hands in prayer and holding back tears.

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In recent years, Sanders has undergone surgery on both his legs to remove blood clots, including one in 2021 that resulted in the amputation of several toes, according to the NY Post. He had several more clots removed two years later.

During a recent appearance on fellow former cornerback Asante Samuel’s podcast in May, Sanders said, “What I’m dealing with right now is at a whole other level.”

Sanders, who played cornerback in the NFL before transitioning into his coaching career, missed a chunk of the Buffaloes’ season last year due to health issues.

The ebb and flow of his health battle has at other points left Sanders sounding like he’s on the mend. He attended the Big 12 Media Day in Frisco, Texas, on July 9 and just last week declared himself “back and feeling great” in a social media post.

Sanders will begin his third season at the school, where he coached his son Shedeur as quarterback last year alongside Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. The team finished the season with a 9-4 record.