Tigers head coach Deion Sanders revealed that he recently had surgery on his injured foot, resulting in two of his toes being amputated on his left foot.
The NFL Hall of Famer detailed his foot injury in an episode of his Coach Prime docuseries that aired Tuesday night on Barstool Sports.
Sanders, 54, was hospitalized for nearly three weeks after the doctors classified his condition as life-threatening. As a result, his big toe and the second toe on his left foot were amputated.
Sanders dislocated his toe and suffered an inflamed nerve following foot surgery he initially had in September.
After returning to the football field, he was sidelined using crutches, a golf cart, and sometimes a push scooter to move around.
Once the scares started to heal, the 54-year-old noticed two of his toes began to darken underneath the bandages.
Sanders was diagnosed with three femoral arterial blood clots located at his calf and ran down the entire length of his leg into his ankle. On day three, he developed compartment syndrome, which occurs when the leg swells up from excessive fluid and limits the amount of blood flow and oxygen.
“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.”
After receiving the grim news, Sanders called his mother to determine if any health issues were hereditary on her side of the family. She explained that several of his family members, including herself, were diagnosed with blood clots, and a few resulted in death.
Though having to rely on others is hard, Sanders said, “… It’s been a long journey. I am on the road back. But I am here and I am thankful.”
Sanders’ fiancee, Tracey Edmonds, has been by his side during his medical setbacks over the past few months. In November, he took to Instagram and posted a photo of the two smiling along with a heartfelt caption.
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