Deion Sanders had surgery on his foot during Jackson State’s 2021 season, trying to correct an issue that had plagued him since his NFL playing days.

However, the surgery was much more complicated than it appeared, leading to Sanders having to use a scooter for the rest of the season.

During the latest episode of “Pardon My Take,” Sanders really opened up about how serious the injury was. He described the process that led to him to getting the surgery (via FootballScoop.com):

“The first time I looked down the bed and saw what transpired … because I had nine total surgeries,” Sanders said. “It was always a problem with my toe from football.

“It was my fourth toe surgery, and it just didn’t heal. The trainer was looking at it and she said we need to go get this checked, your big toe and second toe is black. We need to go to the hospital now. I said let’s go to practice and then we’ll go (to the hospital). And then doctors started looking around to each other and you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, something’s going on.’ And then I was there for a month after that.”

Sanders tried to come back to work right after the surgery, but then he explained he had to go back to the hospital to deal with the “life-threatening” complications:

“I had a surgery and then came right back to work [but had to again immediately return to the hospital],” Sanders shared. “Because it was a threat to my life. It was life-threatening. Still to this day people don’t know. My team knew, because when I first came back I addressed the team and it was, that’s going to be a tear-jerker (on the newest episode of ‘Coach Prime’). I didn’t use profanity but I used other words.

“It was bad, it was really bad. It got really, really bad. Lost a lot of blood as well. I don’t think I was awake but for maybe couple hours a day at a time. I didn’t eat anything for like weeks. I lost 35 pounds, was size I was in high school.”

Barstool Sports has a series about Sanders that details the surgery. Here’s a trailer for the latest episode: