Deion Sanders has faced down some of the toughest opponents in football history, but his latest victory might be his most personal yet. The Colorado Buffaloes head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer announced this week that he is officially cancer-free after undergoing aggressive treatment for bladder cancer.
“I got my life back,” Sanders said during an appearance on “Good Morning America.” “I got my swagger back.”
The 58-year-old coach, who also goes by Coach Prime, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer in 2025. The discovery came during a routine CT scan, which revealed a tumor that required immediate surgery. Despite the grueling treatment, Sanders never stepped away from his duties leading the Colorado football program.
“I’m cancer free. I’m good,” Sanders said. “Great doctors in Colorado that brought me through. God has brought me through. I’m thankful, I’m healthy. I got my swagger back. Like, I’m ready to go, coach my butt off. And I’m having a good time.”
This isn’t the first health scare for Sanders, who has dealt with blood clots and even a near-leg amputation in recent years. In 2023, he underwent surgery to improve circulation, and last year he had a procedure to remove clots. The cancer diagnosis added another layer of challenge, requiring serious bladder surgery that left him dealing with incontinence.
“Now you’re sitting in the room, don’t know what’s what, can’t control your bladder,” Sanders recalled. “You got a whole new bladder. Your bladder don’t know you, you don’t know it. You’re peeing in the bed. I remember going to a speaking engagement and the first thing I do, and we left that morning, like 7 a.m. and I had to be there at 830. First thing I do is grab my crotch. Because I’m like, oh, my God, I hope I haven’t peed on myself. I didn’t bring another change of clothes.”
Sanders has since signed on as a spokesman for Depend, and he says he now feels comfortable traveling and sleeping through the night without fear. “I don’t have to be afraid to travel anymore,” he said. “I don’t have to be afraid to have a good night’s sleep. I have the product that helps me.”
He credits early detection with saving his life. “But early detection was key getting on it early, because you know amputation, so they were checking for something else and stumbled upon this. So early detection helped me out tremendously,” Sanders said.
As for the gridiron, Sanders remains fully focused on the Buffaloes. Colorado’s 2026 season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 3, at Georgia Tech. And while his health journey has been a rollercoaster, Coach Prime is ready to lead his team with renewed energy. The announcement comes amid other headlines surrounding the Sanders family, including his son Shedeur outearning 12 NFL quarterbacks in 2025 and Sanders firing back at a fake Colorado NIL policy.
For now, though, the biggest win is personal. “I got my swagger back,” Sanders said. And that swagger is ready to coach.
