BOULDER, Colo.— Colorado coach Deion Sanders disclosed Monday that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer but after surgery his oncologist has considered him cured, so he plans to coach this season.
Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urologic oncology at the CU Cancer Center/UCHealth University of Colorado hospital, said Sanders had his bladder removed as part of the surgical plan.
“It was dynamic. It was tough. It wasn’t a cakewalk. It wasn’t easy,” said Sanders, who arrived to his news conference wearing a cowboy hat and overalls along with sunglasses, which he removed after getting choked up. “That was a fight, but we made it.”
Sanders, who turns 58 next month, has drawn headlines for his health, but the focus largely was on two toes he’s had amputated and concerns over blood clots. He said he’s had 14 surgeries since 2021, when he was still the coach at Jackson State, but kept his cancer fight private.
Sanders spoke on the eve of fall camp as he enters his third season overseeing the Buffaloes. He brought his medical team with him to discuss his diagnosis. It was revealed that a section of his intestine was reconstructed to function as a bladder. He won’t need radiation or chemotherapy, Kukreja said. “The ‘C’ word, when we hear that word there’s normally a life sentence attached to it,” Sanders said. “But not this time. But not this time.” Sanders said he lost about 25 pounds, leading him to joke, “I was like Atlanta Falcons Prime at one point.”
He later added: “I truly depend on Depend, if you know what I mean. I can’t control my bladder. … Let’s not be ashamed of it. Let’s deal with it head on.”
Just Sanders being Sanders — he remained upbeat throughout the entire process, his medical team said. “He never folded one time and never wavered,” team trainer Lauren Askevold said. “You couldn’t ask for a better patient because he wants to get up and get going right away. … It’s been a hectic journey. It’s been a lot. But there’s a blessing in disguise with all of this.” Never once did Sanders waver in his belief that he would return to the sideline.
