The 54-year-old Sanders underwent several surgeries. He developed a femoral arterial blood clot. He also had compartment syndrome, which meant his leg swelled up, and doctors had to flay open his leg to drain fluid. Sanders later had his left foot’s big toe and second toe amputated.
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Jackson State head football coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders said that he had two toes on his left foot amputated while he was in the hospital last season. He revealed the information in an episode of Coach Prime, which is set to air Tuesday night on Barstool Sports.
Sanders said that the amputation was required due to blood clots, stemming from a previous surgery. He was in the hospital for a month during the 2021 football season.
According to Sanders, he had a dislocated toe and an inflamed nerve. He had a procedure in September and was able to return to the sideline at Jackson State using a push scooter. After the procedure, his toes started to darken.
From ESPN’s Heather Dinich:
Sanders said that, at one point, doctors were trying to “ensure I had life,” because of the complications.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB