Deion Sanders reveals offseason battle with cancer
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Deion Sanders is gearing up for Year 3 at Colorado, though it has been a challenging and tumultuous offseason for the head coach.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Sanders had been away from the program to deal with a health scare, but details were seriously limited. He later addressed the matter on social media, saying he was okay and would be returning to the program, but the matter surfaced again when it was announced he would hold a press conference with his medical team.
That press conference began on Monday, the morning after his son, Deion Sanders Jr., released a video that showed his father discussing the creation of his will. That’s how serious the matter became, and Sanders revealed at the press conference that he has been battling cancer this offseason.
The cancer was revealed during some routine scans and checkups during the offseason, and the specific tumor was an aggressive form of cancer located on Sanders’s bladder. After consulting with his doctors, the decision was made to remove the bladder entirely, and the doctors declared Sanders cancer-free with a new bladder.
“Given his commitments to his family and his team, (Sanders) elected to go with a bladder removal. We performed a full bladder removal and creation of a new bladder, and I am pleased to report the results from the surgery are that he is cured from the cancer,” reported one of Sanders’s doctors.
During the press conference, Sanders went on to say that his whole life has been changed as a result, including some significant weight loss due to the procedures. He also admitted he can’t “pee like I used to, it’s totally different,” admitting there might even be a porta potty on the sidelines this fall.
Despite the challenges, Sanders claims he is fully back into coaching and will be with the team all season long.
“It’s a totally different life. I mean, thank God, now I depend on Depends,” cracked Sanders in the way that only he can for such a serious matter. “You know what I mean? I truly depend on Depends; I cannot control my bladder. So when I get up to go to the bathroom… I’m making a joke of it, but it’s real. So if you see a porta potty on the sidelines, it’s real. Okay? I’m just telling you, you’re going to see it.”
For now, it’s a positive update and miraculous sign for Coach Prime’s health. Here’s praying he stays all clear for the foreseeable future.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
