Deion Sanders is back on his feet and running again. The University of Colorado football Master the Half blood clotting Other Hearst Subscriptions Instagram video of himself jogging at the Buffaloes’ indoor practice facility—the first time he’s felt healthy enough to run since this medical journey began.
“God is so good,” an out of breath Sanders says after crossing the indoor space. “I know it looks like a slight jog to you,” he says, “but you have no idea.” He then shows the camera the scars on his legs and says that he has 21 stitches in each groin.
Best Folding Treadmills football and baseball player had two of his toes amputated due to blood circulation issues in his left foot. In an interview with USA Today, he said his toes were “charcoal black,” and he opted to have them removed so he wouldn’t continue missing games while he was coaching at Jackson State.
Then in June 2023, Sanders said he was still having trouble with his left foot and a full amputation might be required. In an update days later, he had more clarity after speaking with his doctors, who recommended surgery on both feet to address the clotting, but “no talk of amputation,” he said.
In the USA Today interview, he said he’s “chasing normalcy” for his physical health. “That’s all I want,” he said. “I want normalcy. I want to be able to walk in two shoes and not be in pain, not taking meds all night. At one point, man, I was taking so many darn pills every night, it was like, ‘C’mon. I can’t live the rest of my life like this.’ It was double-figure pills.”
Despite all that he’s been through, the 56-year-old is grateful to be where he is now. Towards the end of his video update, he says, “I’m blessed and highly favored. God is so good.” He’s posted another update since then, full of vim and vigor—a motivational speech given while working out on an elliptical machine. In its caption, he wrote, “I declare my Sundays will be mostly Cardio! Lord I know you’re blessing me to run but a mile a day will keep the fat away. That’s my goal.”
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Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Sounds like Coach Prime really is back, Deion Sanders Goes for First Run after 11 Surgeries to Treat Blood Clotting in His Legs, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
