Colorado coach Deion Sanders experienced dark days last year during his fight with bladder cancer, which kept him away from his team during spring practice and threatened his future in coaching. Now recovered from a tumultuous ordeal that included the removal of his bladder, Sanders says he's cancer-free and thankful to be back with the Buffaloes in full capacity.
"I've got my health back. I've got my swagger back," Sanders told Good Morning America. "Last year at this time, I was fighting cancer, didn't know which way it was going to go. ... I'm fully back now. Last year at this time, it wasn't a good look."
Few national storylines carried more emotional and cultural weight than Sanders' health journey. He faced several personal obstacles last season while also dealing with the departures of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter to the NFL.
During a loss to TCU, Sanders was seen laboring on the sideline, painfully fighting blood clots in his leg. He had a corrective procedure the week following that game, similar to surgery in June 2023, to treat persistent clotting. Previously at Jackson State, Sanders had two toes amputated as a result of similar blood clot issues.
"We fought the battle and we won the battle fighting cancer," Sanders said. "I'm cancer-free. I'm good. Great doctors in Colorado that have brought me through. God has brought me through. I'm thankful I'm healthy."
Back in full command of the day-to-day, Sanders' identity has always been fused with energy, visibility and relentless presence. He made notable coaching changes after last fall's disappointing finish and went hard in the transfer portal this cycle with 43 new additions -- the No. 23 class in the nation, according to 247Sports.
"I'm ready to go coach my butt off this season," Sanders said. "I'm having a good time."
Outlook for Sanders, Colorado in 2026
From nine wins in 2024 to nine losses last season, the tone around Colorado does feel different than it did during the early peak of the Sanders era. There's less novelty, diminished shock value and a greater expectation to improve. The Buffaloes are no longer a curiosity — they are a program judged by results, development, and week-to-week consistency in the top-heavy Big 12.
What remains unchanged is Sanders' gravitational pull. When he is fully active, Colorado is never just another team on the schedule. The Buffaloes become a weekly event, a squad that distorts television windows and opponent preparation alike.
The Buffaloes hope a fresh two-deep on defense, along with the expected emergence of second-year quarterback Julian Lewis, leads to a turnaround.
Colorado has regained its leader, voice and central figure, but few consider the Buffaloes a realistic threat to finish in the top half of the league given the mass personnel changes. Sanders and his players will have to go out and show they're worthy of being counted among Texas Tech, BYU and others in the conference.
Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
