- The procedure on Tuesday was Sanders’ 16th surgery in the past few years for various health issues.
- Sanders has a history of blood-circulation problems, which he has stated are hereditary.
- Despite the recent surgery, an observer noted Sanders was walking around as normal during practice.
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders returned to the job Wednesday, Oct. 8 and attended his team’s morning practice, less than a day after he underwent surgery to remove arterial blood clots in his left leg.
An observer at practice said he was not in a wheelchair but was walking around as normal. Sanders’ team is 2-4 this season and hosts Iowa State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
“He looked like he looked last week at practice,” said Christopher Neely of the Thee Pregame Network, one of Sanders’ favored YouTube channels.
Neely has followed Sanders since his days as coach at Jackson State, when he also was hospitalized with blood-circulation issues. Neely said on The Morning Run podcast on Wednesday that Sanders was “involved” and ‘engaged’ at practice but also added a cautionary reminder that “there ain’t no damn way he ain’t hurting” after surgery.
Deion Sanders’ surgery history
The procedure on Tuesday in Colorado was Sanders’ 16th surgery in the past few years, as noted in a video posted on YouTube by his son Deion Jr.
A few days earlier, Sanders said he was ‘hurting like crazy’ during his team’s 35-21 loss at TCU on Saturday, Oct. 4. The surgery aimed to improve circulation and ease his pain. He was accompanied to the surgery Tuesday by Deion Jr., his eldest son, his friend Adam “Pacman” Jones, the former NFL cornerback, and apparent girlfriend Karrueche Tran, the actress, as seen on the video.
In May, Sanders also had his bladder removed after a cancerous tumor was discovered during a medical appointment related to his vascular issues.
Before that, Sanders had clots removed from his legs in 2023. He missed a Pac-12 Conference media event that year because of it but did not miss any games as coach.
In 2021, when he was coach at Jackson State, he missed three games while he battled issues related to blood clots and compartment syndrome. He had two toes amputated from his left foot and parts of his left calf removed before returning to the sideline in a motorized wheelchair.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com