Deion Sanders, head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, recently shared his personal journey with cancer, offering insight into his battles and triumphs. Speaking at the Big 12 Media Days on July 9, 2025, in Frisco, Texas, Sanders addressed the media about his health challenges and the emotional impact they have had on him.
In an emotional exclusive interview with Michael Strahan, Sanders discussed his ongoing fight against stage 4 cancer. The full interview aired on Good Morning America Tuesday morning. After months of worsening symptoms, he finally had the appropriate testing done that confirmed a high-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. With only a 50 percent chance of recurrence, Sanders faced a difficult decision: to undergo surgery to remove his bladder or to commit to 36 weeks of chemotherapy.
Looking back on this diagnosis, Sanders confesses that he was more pissed off than anxious at his visit. “You know how many people’s goin’ through this foolishness?” he remarked, emphasizing the importance of discussing health issues openly.
Nine days post-diagnosis, Sanders opted for surgery. Doctors then reconstructed his bladder by utilizing a section of his intestine. The subsequent recovery process was just as brutal, putting him in excruciating pain. Recalling that period, he shared, “So, I remember laying there and they said, ‘Well, you need to go try to pee.’ That was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt in my life.” Particularly hearing his memory of being on the ground in the bathroom, and you know, screaming from the pain and how shocking that must have been.
Though these challenges, Sanders came out the other side cancer-free and still focuses on educating men about important health issues. He recognized that men are still reluctant to talk about what makes them vulnerable. “Men never talk about stuff like this. We hide it ’cause we wanna be big and strong and massive and not vulnerable,” he said. He hopes that people going through their own struggles can feel empowered by the strength of community and the power of open conversation.
Sanders candidly shared details about his ongoing struggles with nighttime incontinence, stating, “Some nights I go through two pairs of Depends a night. Like, some nights are bad.” He wants his story to inspire other people like him, because at the end of the day, everyone has a battle to fight. “And I want everybody to understand you can make it, man. We all got somethin’ we fightin’. Who out there right now ain’t fighting somethin’? It may not be cancer, but it’s somethin’. You can overcome it. We can do this.”
Sanders now stands at the forefront of the Colorado Buffaloes’ charge into the 2023 season. When Heen, 45, looks back on his whirlwind past few weeks—full of clear intention. He quoted the Bible to convey resilience through adversity: “The Bible clearly depicts that in this world we’re gonna have tribulation.” His message is relevant far beyond the world of sports, inspiring people to overcome adversity and speak freely about their journeys.
