Jackson State Coach Deion Sanders Had to Amputate Toes

Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders had to amputate two of his toes due to blood clots, the Jackson State coach revealed on the Barstool Sports Coach Prime series. When he was diagnosed with three femoral arterial blood clots starting at his calf and running the entire length of one leg, the 54-year-old found out his family has a history of them, Sports Illustrated reports. He was in danger of needing an amputation from below the knee—or much more, as doctors said the clots were life-threatening. Sanders spent the later part of Jackon State's 2021 season in a wheelchair. He ended up with just his big toe and second toe amputated, USA Today reports.

"The hardest thing of it all was to look down there and see that, and understand that once upon a time, you were this type of athlete. And you don’t even know if you’re gonna walk because all you feel is pain, and you just want to get out of this hospital. You just want to get out," Sanders said on the episode, which detailed his three-week Mississippi hospital stay. "It's been a long journey," he says. "I am on the road back. But I am here and I am thankful." (More Jackson State stories.)