
BOULDER, Colo. — Recently, Deion Sanders was notably missing from the football camps held in Boulder, Colorado, this spring. Although the University of Colorado has refrained from commenting on the reasons surrounding his absence, ESPN reported, relying on an unnamed source, that Sanders has been unwell and has not been present at the office of late.
During the weekend, Deion Sanders Jr., his son, streamed a video on YouTube mentioning that his father is staying at their Texas home and seems to be “feeling well.” According to what Sanders Jr. shared, “He’ll let everyone know soon what he’s dealing with.”
Sanders is obligated by his contract extension from March to oversee at least three football camps on campus. His contract, which binds him to the University of Colorado until 2029, classifies him as the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 Conference.
The 57-year-old Sanders has faced ongoing challenges with his left foot, an issue stemming back to 2021 when he had two toes amputated due to blood clot complications during his tenure at Jackson State. Notably, in his first year at Colorado in 2023, Sanders bypassed media day following procedures to dislodge a blood clot from his right leg and to realign toes on his left foot.
On Tuesday, during the Browns’ minicamp, Shedeur Sanders, a rookie quarterback, was inquired about his father’s health. He responded by noting, “Yeah, I don’t know what’s happening. Right now, I am concentrating on my responsibilities as the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. My focus remains on mastering the playbook and on what I need to do to be both a successful quarterback and a valuable team player. Beyond that, I don’t have any specific thoughts or opinions on other matters.”
Sanders was set to be a prominent speaker at the Sickle Cell Disease Research and Educational Symposium in Florida last weekend. However, due to an unforeseen change in his schedule, he had to withdraw as the keynote speaker, with Magic Johnson stepping in as his replacement.
The University of Colorado Buffaloes will kick off their season on August 29, playing against Georgia Tech at home.