Deion Sanders tells his players to compete, fight through adversity, and keep showing up. It looks like he isn’t making exceptions for himself, either. Even with a complicated history of foot surgeries and the loss of two toes, the Colorado head coach has found another way to get involved at practice. His latest appearance on the field left his oldest son doing a double take.

Deion Sanders Jr. shared the footage on Well Off Media, where he walked viewers through a collection of pictures showing Deion Sanders getting involved in practice. His initial reaction was wondering what exactly his father was doing.

“Yesterday, as y’all saw on the video, I left practice early,” he explained. “They sent me these pics, the post, and I looked at these. I’m like, ‘who do you think you are, bro? You can’t play anymore.’”

It sounded like a son questioning his father’s decision to get back into football action. Then Deion Sanders Jr. watched more closely and realized there was an explanation behind the unusual sight.

The videos showed Deion Sanders taking defensive reps, giving Colorado’s offense another look during practice. That is a different picture from the usual one of the coach watching drills from the sideline or addressing his players. Deion Sanders Jr. eventually connected the dots.

“Today, what y’all about to see, I understood that he been playing scout team safety,” he said. “So that’s what he’s doing in these pics.”

Scout-team players help prepare the starters for their next opponent. They study the opposition’s tendencies and recreate its formations, movements, and defensive assignments during practice. A safety doing that work has to give the offense a realistic picture of what it might face on game day.

It isn’t glamorous, but it matters. And Deion Sanders decided he was willing to take those reps himself. What makes his involvement stand out is that the Colorado coach has already been through more foot trouble than most players would want to imagine.

Deion Sanders’ foot problems date back to his coaching days at Jackson State. Blood clots damaged circulation in his left foot, while compartment syndrome and tissue death eventually forced doctors to perform multiple procedures. Two toes, including his big toe and the one beside it, were amputated.

Deion Sanders previously discussed losing sensation along the bottom of his foot, dealing with pain, and struggling with how his remaining toes were positioned. Walking and putting pressure on the foot became difficult. His family has hardly been shielded from the reality of it. 

Back in October, Deion Sanders shared graphic photographs from the surgery on Instagram while marking five years since the ordeal. Shedeur Sanders wasn’t thrilled with the decision to post them.

“Need a warning sign,” he commented.

Shilo Sanders also admitted that he had spent considerable time avoiding a close look at his father’s foot, saying, “They are really messed up.”

There has, however, been some progress. In September 2026, Deion Sanders showed off custom prosthetic replacements for the two missing toes. The silicone pieces were designed to restore the shape of his foot, improve support, and reduce the risk of friction and skin damage. He even celebrated the fitting by declaring himself “ten toes down again.”

Deion Jr. documented that process, too. Adjusting to the new additions wasn’t immediately comfortable, with Deion Sanders describing the sensation as somewhat unusual. Now, his son’s reaction to the practice provided unexpected entertainment. 

Deion Sanders, meanwhile, seemed perfectly happy getting his hands dirty, even if that meant taking scout-team safety reps with a foot that has already been through an extraordinary amount.