Why Deion Sanders is lucky to be alive

NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders used to be the most electrifying player in the NFL, but these days, he's lucky that he can even walk.

Sanders landed the head coaching job at Colorado after two successful seasons with Jackson State, leading the team to two Southwestern Athletic Conference championships in 2021 and 2022.

The more impressive thing is that Sanders did this whilst going through a condition in his left leg that could have potentially ended his life.

In 2021, Sanders had to undergo surgery on a dislocated toe on his left foot, but after his toes had gone black a couple of weeks later, the Jackson State athletics trainer urged him to get them checked out.

The doctors told Sanders that he had femoral arterial blood clots, which led to more surgeries, two amputations, and compartment syndrome.

According to marca.com, Sanders said: "Man, forget the toes. They were charcoal black. They were dead. You look down there and it's two black toes. Take them. What am I going to do with them?"

In an interview with Shannon Sharpe last December, Sanders admitted that he had nine surgeries in 2021 and 2022, with the risk of losing his life and his left leg being a real possibility.

The major problem for Sanders was in his left leg, with tissues being cut on both sides of his left calf to relieve fluid buildup and minimize the chances of blood clots.

Despite his severe health issues, Sanders showcased the same passion and grit he showed on an NFL field, returning to Jackson State in a wheelchair for the remaining games.

Sanders is still having issues with blood clots in his legs. Just a couple of months ago, the Colorado coach had to have the clot removed from his right thigh just a week before the season.

It is thought that the start of his issues in his toes could have been from the lasting effects of his NFL career, but in Deion's case, it could be genetics.

In the interview with Shannon Sharpe, Sanders revealed that his uncle had died from similar complications, and his mum and another uncle also had similar trouble.

Sanders is still at risk of the situation getting worse, with the threat of an Aneurysm still at large as he continues to have more surgeries.

'Prime Time' has had his life on the line for over two years now, but his success as a coach has overshadowed the severity of the situation in his legs.

'Coach Prime' has turned last year's 1-11 Colorado Buffaloes team into the most exciting team in the country, leading the team to a 3-0 start before losing PAC 12 heavyweights Oregon and USC.

Through life-threatening situations and multiple amputations, Deion Sanders has shown you can create success and achieve anything through resilience and hard work.