Deion Sanders has spent years refusing to let his health problems dictate how he lives. Now, his girlfriend, Karrueche Tran, has offered a glimpse of how that attitude carries over into their relationship. Her solution to some of Coach Prime’s toughest moments is a few jokes, a nickname, and the ability to laugh together when life gets hard.
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During an episode of The Pop Exchange, which Karrueche co-hosts with Jason Kennedy, the actress opened up about Deion Sanders’ recovery from the amputation of two toes on his left foot. Getting used to it has meant more than simply slipping on a new pair of shoes.
Karrueche says Deion Sanders’ three remaining toes have curled over time, while the two prosthetic ones sit straighter. He’s still getting used to the difference. She revealed that she calls the altered foot “Little Foot” and regularly pokes fun at him over it. The Colorado head coach, apparently, is happy to play along.
“We crack jokes all the time,” she said. “I make fun of his little foot. I call it little foot. I make fun of his little foot all the time.”
It’s not exactly the sort of relationship detail most people expect to hear alongside a story about major surgery. But Karrueche made clear that the humor is part of their bond, not an attempt to dismiss what he has endured. For her, the laughter is not a sign that the situation is trivial. It is just how they handle difficult moments together.
“And I just love that that’s a part of our relationship is that we get to laugh and have fun. That’s the best part. We’re joking all the time, but I love that he never allowed this situation to hinder anything in his life,” added Tran.
The jokes are one thing, but what Deion Sanders went through was another. Back in 2021, while coaching Jackson State, he went in for treatment on a dislocated toe and an inflamed nerve. Things quickly went sideways. A blood clot formed in his femoral artery, compartment syndrome set in, and his toes began turning dark despite further treatment.
Doctors had little choice but to remove Deion Sanders’ big toe and the one beside it. He’d suffered three life-threatening blood clots, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steven Sheskier later revealed. Things got so bad that doctors even considered taking the entire foot.
Deion Sanders eventually returned to coaching, but his health troubles didn’t end there. In 2025, he faced bladder cancer and underwent surgery to have his bladder removed. Doctors built a replacement using part of his intestine. His medical team later announced that he was cancer-free.
Through those difficult stretches, Karrueche was there. She has previously spoken about the emotional strain of supporting Deion Sanders through serious illness and the uncertainty surrounding his treatment.
“If I dipped, I would’ve taken the easy way out,” she said of the challenges their relationship faced. “It was hard, it was difficult mentally. But we made it work.”
Deion Sanders has also publicly credited Karrueche for helping him through recovery. In a February interview, he said she kept him positive and supported him when he needed it most.
“She was there,” he said. “She held me down. She kept me upright. She kept me straight. Kept me positive. I’m already positive. But she did the doggone thing.”
Deion Sanders was thrilled to have all 10 toes again. He posted a video declaring, “10 toes down again!” and called the prosthetics “a blessing.” He even had a little chat with his new toes. He still has to get used to the prosthetics, but having all 10 toes again is worth celebrating after everything he’s been through.
Karrueche isn’t brushing off the rough patches. She’s showing how they deal with them: jokes, support, and no shortage of teasing. If “Little Foot” is part of the deal, Deion Sanders can probably take it. They’ve weathered far worse together.