Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is getting real about the time he pulled a Ronnie Lott while coaching for Jackson State. During the 2021 season, Sanders underwent surgery for a dislocated toe, but he ended up with three life-threatening blood clots. He was able to avoid having a leg amputation, but had two of his toes amputated to avoid missing time coaching extra games at Jackson State.
While reflecting on the procedure, Sanders said, “Man, forget the toes. They were charcoal black. They were dead. You look down there and it's two black toes. Take 'em. What am I going to do with them?” per Jarrett Bell of USA Today.
Following the procedure, Sanders would lead Jackson State to an 11-2 record and an Southwestern Athletic Conference championship. He would lead Jackson State to a repeat championship in 2022 before taking over the coaching position at Colorado.
Even with the amputations, Deion Sanders has still struggled with blood clots and pain in the same foot. He has had several surgeries and procedures on the leg this offseason, but once again avoided having his foot amputated. While he is currently using a walking boot to get around following the surgeries, he hopes to get out of the boot in time for Colorado's season opener Saturday versus TCU.
The move was similar to when San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott had part of his pinkie finger amputated in order to avoid missing the rest of the 1986 season after injuring it. Though Lott ended up regretting the procedure, Sanders was left with less of a choice when it came to healing his foot.
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