Deion Sanders used to be a freak athlete back in the day, but now he can be seen limping when he’s coaching. Before the limping, Deion Sanders suffered a serious condition that doctors had even considered amputating his entire left foot at some point.
Sanders was diagnosed with serious medical issues, including blood clots in his legs, a dislocated foot, and hammer toes. He also had a swelling and limited blood flow to his legs.
Specifically, Deion experienced pain in his left foot due to the hammer toes rubbing on top of his shoes.
Doctor’s Advice To Deion Sanders
After listening to Deion Sanders’ struggles, the team of three doctors, Dr. Don Jacobs, Dr. Max Wohlauer, and Dr. Kenneth Hunt, made a few recommendations. First, they advised him to undergo a procedure to treat the vascular blockages. They discovered that blood clots had broken off and were blocking the artery, plugging it over time.
The doctors also advised on correcting his foot deformities. They advised Sanders to have a toe-straightening procedure to eliminate the pain resulting from friction with his shoe.
Lastly, the doctors proposed a recovery plan to help Sanders regain his mobility and manage to run before his team per his wishes.
“I called my mother when I first got the diagnosis, and I said, ‘Ma, do we have a history of blood clots?’ She said, ‘Yeah, I have blood clots and, by the way, your uncle passed away a few years ago from blood clots’, and I said, ‘Well thanks, Mom. I really appreciate that,’” he said jokingly on Good Morning America.
Why Did Deion Sanders’ Toes Get Amputated?
Speaking on the Coach Prime docuseries, Sanders said, “They were talking about amputation of toes.” He continues, “Then they were talking about the amputation of my leg from the knee down. Then, they were trying to ensure I had life.”
Finally, the doctors had to amputate his two toes to save him from the blood clots that could have been deadly.
“I wasn’t upset, I wasn’t threatened, I wasn’t scared, afraid, I wasn’t anything. 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,” Prime said. “Because I’ve got work to do.”
How Many Surgeries Did Coach Prime Have?
Deion Sanders has had a total of 12 surgeries so far. All these have focused on improving his mobility and helping him coach comfortably without the pain and discomfort he suffered in the past.
After an exclusive meeting with his doctors, they agreed on an initial surgery to relieve the blood clots. The first surgery involved amputation of two toes on his left foot to enhance blood circulation and relieve pain.
After the amputation in 2021, Deion went through eight more surgeries to address the blood clots.
In June 2023, he had another procedure to get rid of a blood clot in his thigh and parts below his knee. Announcing about his surgery, Sanders said: “I apologize that I’m not going to be at the Pac-12 media day to have another surgery tomorrow.”
Over the same period, Deion had yet other surgeries to straighten two remaining toes on his left foot, which were later amputated.
Is He Safe Now?
Yes, Deion Sanders is generally safe. While he had to have two of his toes amputated, the surgery improved oxygen and blood supply to his legs, and he’s now back on his feet and running.
Although he’s had a dozen surgeries to treat blood clots on his legs and thighs, Deion has kept his fighting spirit alive. He even surprised fans with a video of himself jogging a few months after his last surgery.
Just like he did in the field, Deion Sanders is devoted to regaining normalcy. And with each workout, Coach Prime will keep getting better every day.
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