Deion Sanders is not unfamiliar with health battles. Even then, what he went through last year tested him the most. Coach Prime has often talked about the intensity of his cancer battle. Describing the moment again, just before the 2026 season kicks off, Sanders labeled the grueling feeling he experienced last season “a death sentence.”
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“And now you’re hearing you have cancer,” Sanders said to Tim Ross in an August 26 video on The Basement with Tim Ross. “And when you hear that, my brother, that’s almost like hearing a death sentence… If you ain’t together, if you ain’t right. See, we always talk about our faith until our faith is tested. We always brag about our faith until our faith is tested. We always claim no weapons formed against me will prosper until that weapon is formed. And that weapon knows you and hits you. It hits you with your name on it. So yeah, we do that. But I never flinched, man.”
“So, I was at the crib in Texas, like getting it together… I’m walking around with a bag full of urine and a bag full of blood, and I got two bags walking around with me everywhere and with a catheter. It’s like showering with that and going through our day, trying to walk, trying to get strength, and I’m like 15 to 20 pounds down.”
Sanders got to know about his bladder cancer diagnosis after a CT scan he underwent to monitor the blood clots and vascular issues in his legs. In what was supposed to be a routine check, doctors discovered a tumor in his bladder. He became aware of the diagnosis in April and had to undergo intense treatment for the next three to four months.
Beyond feeling like a death sentence, Sanders had to keep it secret from his loved ones for a while. His son, Shedeur, had an abrupt draft slide from a projected first-round pick to the No. 144 overall pick in the fifth round. His daughter, Deiondra, was having a public breakup with her baby daddy, Jacquees.
And his mother, Connie Knight, was too old to bear such news. Therefore, he kept it to himself until he felt his children could bear the news and offer him the support he needed. And indeed, he was shown so much love by his family members and girlfriend Karrueche Tran. With Shilo Sanders and Shedeur Sanders off to the NFL, Deion Sanders Jr. assumed the role of taking care of their father.
The bags of blood and urine he had on were part of his post-operative medical equipment to monitor his bleeding and how much waste was getting out of his body.
Coach Prime discussed the severity of the disease while addressing the local press at the Big 12 media day, where he revealed that he had to wear suits with “shorts up under it, and a hoodie up under it” to the Colorado Buffaloes campus. This was due to the amount he lost during his battle with cancer. In place of his removed bladder, a portion of his small intestine was used to construct a new bladder.
As we have seen, while going through his personal battle, Deion Sanders also had the task of leading a group of young players for Colorado. The Buffaloes struggled to get going on the field in the 2025 season. They finished their campaign with a dismal 3-9 record. In between, there were reports that Coach Prime might retire due to health concerns. However, he persevered despite undergoing treatments during the campaign.
A few months ago, he finally declared that he was back to feeling like his old self. That rejuvenation is also evident in how he’s coaching Colorado to return the program to the heights of the 2024 season.