FORT WORTH, Texas – In addition to the pain of another defeat, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is dealing with more pain physically.
During CU’s 35-21 loss to TCU on Saturday night at Amon G. Carter Stadium, Sanders took his left shoe off for several minutes in the second half because he said his foot was throbbing. He was also walking with a noticeable limp.
“I think I got more blood clots,” Sanders said after the game. “That’s out of the bag, right? I think I got more blood clots. It don’t make sense. I’m hurting like crazy.”
Sanders also complained of a throbbing foot when he sat down for his weekly press conference in Boulder on Tuesday.
“I’ve got a doctor appointment Monday to see what time it is,” he said Saturday night. “So that’s what’s going on. I’m not getting blood to my leg; that’s why my leg is throbbing. Sorry to get that out, but thank you for noticing.”
A Pro Football Hall of Famer now in his third season as CU’s head coach, Sanders, 58, has battled through numerous health issues in recent years, including being diagnosed with bladder cancer on April 14.
Sanders had surgery on May 9 to remove his bladder and the cancer and have a new one created with his small intestine.
Sanders’ serious health issues go back to his time as Jackson State’s head coach in 2021. He had several surgeries that fall, including having two toes amputated on his left foot.
In the summer of 2023, prior to his first season at CU, he had two surgeries to fix blood clots, which improved his mobility. He has had 14 surgeries since 2021.
CU trainer Lauren Askevold, who has been by Sanders’ side since Jackson State, said in July that Sanders has an annual “CT scan of his vascular pattern to make sure blood clots are away,” adding that a scan in the spring “turned out really great from the vascular side.”
That scan did reveal the tumor in Sanders’ bladder, however. And, now it’s possible he is dealing with more vascular issues.
After the game, however, he was more focused on the pain of a second straight loss.
“I appreciate that,” he said when a reporter wished him good health. “Right now, this game is very important to me, and I’m not happy with where we’re executing this game.”
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