Deion Sanders heath history: A complete timeline of surgeries and other scares for Colorado head coach

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has led a revival of Colorado football, taking the Buffaloes from just one win in their final season under Karl Dorrell to nine wins by the second season of the Coach Prime era.

With Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter both off to the NFL, however, more mystery surrounds the program and its chances of contention in the Big 12. Adding another layer to the uncertainty surrounding Colorado is Sanders' health.

The Hall of Fame cornerback has battled a handful of significant health challenges since entering the coaching ranks at Jackson State, and his situation worsened enough that he even drafted a will in 2025.

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Here's the complete history of Sanders' health troubles, from a toe amputation to his more recent struggles. 

LIVE: Follow updates from Deion Sanders' press conference regarding his health

Deion Sanders health timeline

Sanders was hired as the head coach at FCS Jackson State in September 2020 and joined Colorado after the 2022 season. 

2021: Sanders has two toes amputated

Sanders revealed in 2022 that he had two toes amputated in 2021 as he dealt with circulation and blood clotting issues in his lower leg. 

Sanders initially underwent surgery for a dislocated toe and nerve issue early in the 2021 season at Jackson State, but he soon developed blood clots, and his toes began to darken due to a lack of circulation. Sanders revealed doctors talked about even amputating his leg from the knee down to prevent life-threatening blood clots.

"They were trying to ensure I had life," Sanders said of the worst moments of his ordeal. 

The Hall of Famer underwent several surgeries and developed compartment syndrome, which resulted in his leg swelling up to the point that doctors had to drain fluid from it. Ultimately, Sanders was able to keep his leg and foot but had two toes removed.

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2023: Sanders undergoes surgery to address blood clots

Sanders said he nearly lost his entire foot to amputation in 2023 as he battled more blood clotting issues. A lack of blood flow, stemming from clots that originated near his groin, caused issues with Sanders' remaining toes, forcing them to bend in ways that made it painful for him to do even simple tasks such as riding a stationary bike.

Sanders wanted to be able to run out of the tunnel with his first Colorado team in the fall, so he consulted with doctors and underwent a nine-hour surgery in the offseason.

Sanders said he "wasn't scared" ahead of the procedure and simply wanted to be able to coach in the fall. "Let’s do it. I don’t care if you take the toes, I don’t care if you take the whole foot, just make sure that I’m alive, and I’m good," Sanders said, describing his mindset.

Doctors operated on Sanders' foot and also cleared blood vessels near his groin. Sanders, meanwhile, worked with Nike to develop a custom shoe that allowed him to roam the sidelines on his feet in 2023. While Sanders said he dealt with serious pain in his foot during some of his earliest games at Colorado, the procedure saved his foot and was considered a success.

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June 2025: Sanders takes time away with unspecified health issue

Sanders took time away from Colorado during the 2025 offseason while he dealt with an unspecified health issue.

"He’ll tell y’all soon enough what he going through, what he went through," Sanders' son, Deion Jr., said in June 2025. Sanders missed the Buffaloes' summer football practices but returned to the program in July. 

"Back and Feeling Great!" Sanders tweeted after arriving back in Boulder and starting up preseason practices. While he didn't disclose what he dealt with during the offseason, Sanders made no indication he planned to step down from his role. 

July 2025: Sanders reveals he made a will while battling health issues

In a video originally recorded in May 2025 but not released until July 2025, Sanders revealed that he made a will because he feared for his life while battling an unspecified health issue.

"Mentally, emotionally, last night was tough, yesterday was tough, because I had to make a will," Sanders said in a video posted by his son, Deion Jr. "That’s not easy at all, to think that you may not be here."

Sanders was able to recover from his ailment to the point that he returned to Boulder for training camp, but the admission indicated Coach Prime suffered through some difficult moments ahead of his third season at Colorado.