Deion Sanders says he’s cancer free and ready for Colorado football season

Deion Sanders is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, football coach at the University of Colorado, and the only athlete to ever appear in both the Super Bowl and the World Series. But the last few years have been a tougher challenge to his health than any during his football career.

And he continues to find a way to emerge victorious.

“I got my life back,” Sanders said in a nationally televised interview this week. “I have regained my composure.”

Sanders revealed during an appearance on “Good Morning America” ​​that he is finally cancer-free. The blood clots that attacked him years ago — leading to the amputation of several toes — and returned last year, forcing him to undergo a suction thrombectomy in his left leg, weren’t even part of the conversation.

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“I don’t have cancer anymore. I’m fine,” Sanders said. “Great Colorado doctors who [have] made me pass. God allowed me to get through it. I am grateful, I am healthy. I regained my composure. Like, I’m ready to go, train my butt. And I’m having a good time.

“But early detection was key to getting to it as early as possible, because you know about amputation, so they were looking for something else and came across this. So early detection helped me tremendously.”

Blood clots forced Sanders to undergo surgery in 2023 to improve his circulation. But last year he started experiencing severe leg pain and worries about recurring clots. This led to the clot removal procedure. All this on top of the 2025 diagnosis of an aggressive form of bladder cancer discovered during one of his regular vascular exams.

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The cancer treatment consisted of doctors removing his bladder and rebuilding a new one using part of his intestine.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders stands on the field before the start of the spring game at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado on April 11, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

This intended solution to one problem caused other problems.

“Now you’re sitting in the room, you don’t know what’s going on, you can’t control your bladder,” Sanders said. “You have a whole new bladder. Your bladder doesn’t know you, you don’t know it. You pee the bed. I remember going to a speech and the first thing I did, and we left that morning, like 7 a.m. and I had to be there at 8:30. The first thing I do is grab my crotch. Because I’m like, oh, my God, I hope I didn’t pee myself on it I didn’t bring any other change of clothes.

“When you play a football game, a night game, we play, we get back on the plane. The first thing you do is wake up and grab your crotch. Oh, God, I hope I didn’t pee on myself.”

These potentially embarrassing episodes somehow made money for Sanders. He became a spokesperson for Depend and its disposable adult incontinence underwear.

“I don’t have to be afraid to travel anymore,” Sanders said. “I don’t have to worry about getting a good night’s sleep. I have the product that helps me.”

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders prepares before the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado on November 22, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

With his health issues seemingly in retreat, Sanders is ready to take on another challenge he’s more comfortable handling: coaching the Buffaloes in the upcoming season.

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“Winning,” Sanders replied when asked what he was looking forward to. “And I’m healthy. I got my health back. I got my swagger back…I got my self back. You know, last year, this time I’m fighting cancer. I didn’t know which way it was going to go…

“But I’m completely back now. Last year, [at] This time it wasn’t a good idea.”

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