Deion Sanders had two toes on his left foot amputated last fall, the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback revealed.
The head coach of Jackson State and NFL legend said that his big toe and second toe were removed due to blood clots that were the result of a previous surgery. Doctors also feared Sanders might lose his leg, according to the Associated Press.
“The hardest thing of it all was to look down there and see that and understand once upon a time you was this type of athlete and you don’t even know if you’re gonna walk because all you feel is pain,” Sanders said in a teaser for an episode of his “Coach Prime” web series that will air on Tuesday night. “You just wanna get out of this hospital.”
Sanders was suffering from a dislocated toe and inflamed nerve and ended up spending about a month in the hospital, with the initial procedure taking place in September.
Eventually, the 54-year-old returned to practice aided by a golf cart and crutches and later coached using a push scooter. Sanders said last week the he was also concerned about becoming addicted to pain killers after the surgeries because of his level of discomfort.
However, his toes began to darken under the bandages. He then underwent multiple procedures and developed a femoral arterial blood clot and his leg began to swell, according to the AP.
According to USA Today, the blood clots started at Sanders’ calf and ran the length of his leg. He developed compartment syndrome, which results in pressure on a group of muscles, nerves and blood vessels, according to the Cleveland Clinic, causing muscle and nerve damage that can limit the flow of blood and oxygen and possibly lead to death. According to Andscape, Sanders learned during the process that his mother and two uncles, one of whom died, had issues with blood clots.
“They were talking about the amputation of toes,” Sanders said. “Then they were talking about the amputation of my leg from the knee down. Then, they were trying to ensure I had life.”
Sanders, who was in his second season at Jackson State last year, guided the Tigers to an 11–2 record and the SWAC title.
