One of the brightest stars of the Cowboys dynasty has made a stunning announcement concerning a personal health battle. But true to form, he also took the opportunity to turn his own setback into a motivational message for others.
At an often-emotional Monday press conference in Boulder, Hall of Fame cornerback and current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders revealed that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, had the organ surgically removed and replaced, and has now been pronounced “cured from the cancer” by his doctors.
The nine-time Pro Bowler, whose acquisition and play was a major factor in helping the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 season, was flanked by his doctor from the University of Colorado Cancer Center as well as UC’s assistant athletic trainer as he spoke on the ordeal.
“It has been a tremendous journey,” Sanders told reporters. “I’m truly thankful that God is so good. God is so good, you have no idea.”
Dr. Janet Kukreja explained that the type of cancer- discovered after a malignant tumor was found during routine tests- had “a high recurrence rate.” That led Sanders to make the decision to move forward with the “curative” option of having his bladder removed in a procedure that took place shortly after the NFL draft in April.
Sanders admitted that his surgery preparation contributed to the perceived drama that surrounded him and his family on draft weekend, as son Shedeur unexpectedly fell all the way to the fifth round.
“There was some scenes you saw, all the bull junk that transpired on draft day,” Sanders said. “It wasn’t just that. It was just, I knew as well I had a surgery coming up. My sons, to this day, don’t know what transpired. I just told them it was something with my foot, because I wanted to give them the focus on making the team and not focused on dad.”
As a result of the procedure and the subsequent rehab, the coach was away from his Buffaloes team during spring practices. He made an appearance at Big 12 media days earlier in July but declined to speak on his health.
Sanders previously dealt with a serious blood clotting issue and as a result had two toes amputated in 2021. More recently, though, he had been battling another health concern that had- until Monday- been left unspecified. In a video just released over the weekend, Sanders acknowledged that he wrote his will in May, thinking then that he “may not be here” much longer.
The outlook he described Monday, however, was considerably more optimistic. Sanders spoke unflinchingly about what his life looks like post-surgery, from his dependence on absorbent undergarments to the likely presence of a portable toilet on the sidelines of Colorado games this fall.
Sanders was forthcoming in speaking about every aspect of his own cancer diagnosis, and he encouraged others to be just as open and honest in examining their own health. He urged everyone to get checked.
“I know there’s a lot of people out there going through what I am going through and dealing with what I am dealing with and let’s stop being ashamed of it and let’s deal with it. And let’s deal with it head-on.”
Doctors used pieces of Sanders’s own intestines to construct a new bladder for the 57-year-old. That is to prevent the body from rejecting the replacement organ.
Even though Sanders’s rehab isn’t over and he will continue to be monitored by his medical team, he now has his sights set on Colorado’s upcoming season, when he looks to build on last year’s 9-4 turnaround campaign.
“I’m built for this,” Sanders said.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys legend Deion Sanders reveals cancer diagnosis, removal of bladder over offseason
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
