After decades of health complications with his left foot, NFL Hall of Fame cornerback/return specialist and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders could have his foot amputated.
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Sanders, 55, posted a video of him implying he could lose his foot entirely. He's already had two toes from that foot amputated.
Awful news: Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders could lose his entire foot due to medical complications.
Sanders posted a video of a meeting with vascular surgeon Dr. Donald Jacobs and was told the news:
"Could lose the foot,” Jacobs said. “It’s a risk." pic.twitter.com/iCorHiM9zw
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 16, 2023
What's Wrong With Deion Sanders' Foot?
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Sanders' health complications with his foot date back to his days as a player. These complications have included blood clots in his calf, but also "ran the entire length of his leg, and he developed compartment syndrome, which involves muscle pressure reaching levels that can limit the flow of blood and oxygen," according to a report from USA Today in March 2022.
Before joining the Buffaloes, Sanders was the head coach of Jackson State, where he underwent surgery to amputate his big toe and the toe next to it. The official cause of his amputation was that he developed "three femoral arterial blood clots and required surgery."
Sanders' mother has also stated that blood clots run in the family, including members that have "been diagnosed or have died from blood clots."
Before the amputation, Sanders had surgery in September 2021 for a dislocated toe and inflamed nerve. Following this, he said, "they were first talking about the amputation of toes, then the amputation of my leg from the knee down, and then they were trying to ensure that I had life."
Despite these persistent health issues, Sanders led Jackson State to an 11-2 record in 2021 and a 12-1 record in 2022 before heading to Colorado. He missed three games in 2021 because of complications to surgery.
Sanders consulted with Dr. Donald Jacobs, and another surgeon, Max Wohlauer, said that the blood pressure around his ankle has worsened and is not "66%" of the blood pressure measured in his arm.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders could lose his entire foot due to medical complications.
Sanders posted a video of a meeting with vascular surgeon Dr. Donald Jacobs and was told the news:
"Could lose the foot,” Jacobs said. “It’s a risk." pic.twitter.com/PKwrcGYoMz
— Denn Dunham (@DennD68) June 16, 2023
Sanders said that if anything happens, he wants to get it done this summer.
"I just want to know what we can do, because I want to do it this summer, because when we get rolling, I'm not going to have time to do it," he said in the video.
Despite these medical challenges, they don't seem to slow down the accomplished player and coach as he sets out on his maiden voyage with the Buffaloes.
"As you know I've faced some medical challenges with my foot but I've never said 'WHY ME,'" he wrote. "I keep moving forward, progressing."
