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Colorado’s Deion Sanders revealed Monday that he’d been battling bladder cancer during his time away from the team this offseason. Coach Prime underwent surgery to remove his bladder and has been declared cancer-free. He returned to campus last Friday after spending months recovering at his ranch in Texas.
“You have no idea how good God has been to me, for me to be here,” Sanders told reporters during an emotional press conference where he appeared alongside his doctors. “You have no idea.”
The 57-year-old coaching star had been largely out of the public eye in recent months. While he did make a brief appearance at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco earlier this month, he skipped the usual circuit of interviews that other conference coaches participated in — only speaking during his scheduled press conference.
Sanders made it clear he never considered stepping away from coaching.
“I was always going to coach again,” he said. “I wasn’t going to be running down to the hospital once a week with all this on my plate. I didn’t want that. I was like, okay, can they bring one of the machines and put them in the office?”
This wasn’t his first health scare.
Dr. Janet Kukreja, who treated Sanders, emphasized the severity of his diagnosis during the press conference.
“The bad side of this cancer is that if it does progress to the muscle, the rate of metastasis is about 50%,” she explained. “Only about 10% people live more than five years, even with our current medical treatment if it metastasized. We’ve very lucky to have found it at this stage where I can say the word cure, because I don’t use that word lightly as a cancer doctor.”
Sanders has battled serious health issues before, including blood clots that led to two toe amputations back in 2021.
What’s remarkable is that Coach Prime kept his diagnosis from his sons — Shedeur and Shilo — as they prepared for the NFL Draft. Shedeur was picked in the fifth round by Cleveland, while Shilo signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent.
What Coach Prime’s Return Means for the Buffs
In just two seasons at Colorado, Sanders has transformed the program. The Buffaloes went 9-4 last year with a Top 25 finish — their best season since 2016. Star two-way player Travis Hunter captured the Heisman Trophy after putting together one of the most impressive performances we’ve seen from a modern college football player.
Despite building a staff loaded with NFL experience (including former NFL head coach Pat Shurmur as offensive coordinator), Sanders made it clear he’s ready to take back full control.
“I don’t have to rely on them,” Sanders said. “I’m back, baby.”
His return comes at a crucial moment for the program. For the first time in his college coaching career (outside of Jackson State’s pandemic-shortened 2021 spring season), Sanders will coach without his sons on the roster.
The Buffs are facing a pivotal quarterback battle between senior Kaidon Salter and freshman phenom Julian Lewis. Having Coach Prime directly involved in that decision could shape the program’s trajectory for years to come.
Colorado’s Outlook in the Big 12
While the Buffaloes lost considerable talent to the NFL, there’s still plenty to work with in Boulder. Linebacker Samuel Okunlola, receiver Dre’lon Miller, left tackle Jordan Seaton and tight end Sav’ell Smalls all contributed significantly to last year’s success and should step into larger roles this season.
The transfer portal has been kind to Colorado again. They’ve added Alabama defensive tackle Jehiem Oatis to anchor the middle, while cornerback Noah King and safety John Slaughter could make immediate impacts in the secondary. With defensive coordinator Robert Livingstone returning, that unit should continue improving.
Matching last year’s nine-win campaign won’t be easy without Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. But this is exactly when Sanders’ program-building philosophy should start paying dividends.
The Buffs will need every bit of Coach Prime’s energy and leadership as they navigate their second season in the Big 12. Now that he’s back on campus — and more importantly, healthy — Colorado fans can breathe a little easier heading into fall camp.
