It's been not quite four years since Deion Sanders was hospitalized in intensive care for an extended stay in a Jackson, Mississippi, hospital following complications from a foot surgery that left Coach Prime having to have some of his toes amputated and in a comatose state in which Sanders later said the ordeal had nearly taken his life.
It's been just earlier this year that Sanders underwent an aggressive, "life-changing" surgery that removed his bladder after doctors had discovered that Sanders was battling bladder cancer.
Now, with his Colorado team limping to an 2-4 start at the season's midpoint and Iowa State looming at home this Saturday, Sanders revealed late Saturday night following his Buffaloes' latest loss -- 35-21 at TCU -- that he has confronted new and old health concerns. Coach Prime was asked deep into his media session if he was battling new pain in his foot.
"I think I got more blood clots, inside the bag," Coach Prime told reporters after the game, which saw Colorado race to an 14-0 lead only to be outscored 35-7 across the game's final 33 minutes. "I think I got more blood clots. It don't make sense. I am hurting like crazy. I have an appointment on Monday to see what time it is. So, that's what's going on. I am not getting blood to my leg, so that's why my leg's throbbing.
"Sorry to get that out, but thank you for noticing."
It's the latest potential setback for Sanders, who had surgery on his left in late-September, 2021. The procedure was initially to rectify lingering injuries and intense discomfort/pain that the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Famer had dealt with since his retirement from the NFL.
But after the initial procedure, Sanders developed severe blood clots in his leg that were diagnosed as femoral arterial clots. He then was readmitted to the Jackson-area hospital, where he remained for several weeks.
In a subsequently released documentary after the scare, Sanders candidly discussed the depth of pain he had experienced, the process of losing multiple toes and how those blood clots nearly claimed his life.
"Once upon a time you was this type of athlete," Sanders said in a documentary he authorized with Barstool Sports, "and now you don't even know if you're going to walk. All you feel is pain. ...
"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 is not regularly scheduled to meet with reporters on Mondays; his next scheduled press conference -- health allowing -- is midday Tuesday on the Colorado campus.
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