Deion Sanders shares struggle after 2 toes amputated: ‘Lost a couple soldiers’
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By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
NFL Hall of Famer and Jackson State University head football coach Deion Sanders had two toes on his left foot amputated after suffering blood clot complications from a prior surgery.
Sanders shared the amputation news in an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday.
“I told y’all we were gonna show it all in this documentary and that’s what this is. I got to warn ya This ain’t a pretty sight! I may have lost a couple soldiers in the battle but I never lost my faith in God! I endured a lot while I was in the hospital during our historic season but I am so thankful for GOD being there to help pull me through. I am so thankful for those who sent messages of faith and those who visited me during this troubling time,” Sanders wrote.
According to ESPN, Sanders revealed the severity of his foot injury in an episode of his “Coach Prime” documentary series, airing Tuesday night on Barstool Sports.
Sanders, 54, played defensive back in the NFL for 14 seasons, representing the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens at different points throughout his career. He also spent nine seasons as a MLB outfielder, playing for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.
Sanders, who was hospitalized for about a month in the middle of the 2021 college football season, led the Jackson State Tigers to an 11-2 finish, ESPN reported.
According to the sports news network, Sanders underwent multiple surgeries and developed a femoral arterial blood clot, as well as compartment syndrome, which meant his leg swelled. The swelling required doctors to flay open his leg to drain fluid, but the damage already endured required the amputation of the big toe and second toe on his left foot.
“The hardest thing of it all, was to look down there and understand once upon a time, you were this kind of athlete, and now you don’t even know if you’re going to walk… because all you feel is pain, and you just want to get out of this hospital,” he said during Tuesday’s episode, KTVT reported.
Deion Sanders Former Atlanta Falcon player Deion Sanders is seen on the sidelines before an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (John Bazemore/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders Dallas Cowboys' Deion Sanders celebrates during first quarter play against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, Ariz., on Sunday, Jan. 28, 1996. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan) (SUSAN RAGAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR NFL - Former NFL player Deion Sanders presents the award for AP Coach of the Year at the 6th annual NFL Honors at the Wortham Center on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, in Houston. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision for NFL/AP Images) (John Salangsang/Invision for NFL)
Deion Sanders Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders observes his players during an NCAA college football scrimmage in Jackson, Miss., Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. This is Sanders first college head coaching position. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)
Deion Sanders Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders yells during the first half of the Cricket Celebration Bowl NCAA college football game against South Carolina State, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, in Atlanta. South Carolina State beat Jackson State 31-10. (AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr.) (Hakim Wright Sr./AP)
Deion Sanders FILE - This April 11, 2007, file photo shows Deion Sanders posing at "The Billies," a Women's Sports Foundation Awards event held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Deion Sanders, Curtis Martin, Marshall Faulk and Jerome Bettis are among the first-year eligible candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2011. In all, there are 113 modern-era nominees. From that list, Hall of Fame selectors will choose 25 as semifinalists; that group will be announced in November.(AP Photo/Phil McCarten) (Phil McCarten/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders broadcasts after an NFL football game between the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. The Colts won 30-27. (AP Photo/Wade Payne) (Wade Payne/AP)
Deion Sanders IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR STATS PERFORM - Deion Sanders, winner of the Eddie Robinson Award, speaks at the FCS National Awards presented by Stats Perform, Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, in Frisco, TX. (Richard W. Rodriguez/AP Images for Stats Perform) (Richard W. Rodriguez/AP)
Deion Sanders Cowboys Deion Sanders, left, has his helmet knocked off as he is tackled by the Philadelphia Eagles Troy Vincent after Sanders caught a 39 yard pass from Troy Aikman in second quarter action in Philadelphia, Monday Sept. 30, 1996. (AP Photo/Chris Gardner) (CHRIS GARDNER/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders Deion Sanders arrives for the 2010 VH1 Do Something Awards in Los Angeles, Monday, July 19, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) (Chris Pizzello/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders Florida State's Deion Sanders, left, reacts as he sits with television reporter Andrea Kremer, at his agent's suburban home in Winnetka, Ill., on April 23, 1989. Sanders was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the NFL draft. Sanders, a two-time All-American cornerback at FSU, was the fifth player selected in the first round. (AP Photo) (DAVID BANKS/AP)
Deion Sanders Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders credits the support of the community, city, state and its public officials for its success during a celebration at the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, honoring the Jackson State football team and its undefeated SWAC season and championship under its coach, NFL Hall of Fame member Deion Sanders, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)
Deion Sanders Dallas Cowboys' Deion Sanders plays to the crowd after his 59-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter against the New York Giants Monday, Sept. 21, 1998, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Sanders scored two touchdowns in the Cowboys 31-7 victory. (AP Photo/John Greilick) (JOHN GREILICK/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders Deion Sanders, dressed as Leon Sandcastle talks to the media at the Kansas City Chiefs training facility Thursday, March 28, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo. Sanders, an NFL Network analyst and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, starred in the network's advertisement showing Sanders trying to become the next rookie sensation by donning a wig and mustache and participating in the NFL Scouting Combine as the fictitious Leon Sandcastle. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Charlie Riedel/AP)
Deion Sanders NFL Network's Deion Sanders reports from the sideline before an NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) (Elise Amendola/AP)
Deion Sanders Former NFL player Deion Sanders preview the NFL football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee/AP)
Deion Sanders Former Florida State cornerback Deion Sanders speaks during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011. Sanders was one of 14 players and two coaches to be part of the 2011 College Football Hall of Fame class. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (Seth Wenig/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders Deion Sanders is shown on the set of the NFL Network before the start of an NFL football game between the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) (Jeff Roberson/AP)
Deion Sanders Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders smiles as he greets his defensive squad after they had recovered a Mississippi Valley State fumble for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Sunday, March 14, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)
Deion Sanders FILE - This Sept. 21, 1998, file photo shows Dallas Cowboys' Deion Sanders celebrating after intercepting a pass from New York Giants quarterback Danny Kanell and returning 71-yards for a touchdown during the fourth quarter, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Dallas Cowboys' Marc Colombo flubbed the landing on a chest bump following a touchdown last weekend. What started as a harmless stunt ended up leading to a loss and reopening the discussion about whether the NFL goes too far trying to stamp out showboating. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File) (BILL KOSTROUN/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders watches his team as they play Prairie View during the first half of the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)
Deion Sanders This Nov. 11, 2010 photo shows former Atlanta Falcon player Deion Sanders on the sidelines before an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. Sanders is among 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2011. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (John Bazemore/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders Atlanta Braves non-rooster outfield Deion Sanders, right, shares a light moment with teammate Ron Gant in West Palm Beach, March 3, 1991. Sanders, who is a defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons, is attempting to become the first player in 30 years to play two sports in the same city. (AP Photo) (RICHARD DREW/AP)
Deion Sanders Former NFL and baseball player Deion Sanders, walks on the field during the second half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman) (David Goldman/AP)
Deion Sanders Actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, left, and former NFL player Deion Sanders speak on stage at the 3rd annual NFL Honors at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision for NFL/AP Images) (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Deion Sanders FILE - Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders watches on the sideline during the first half of the Cricket Celebration Bowl NCAA college football game against South Carolina State on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, in Atlanta. Deion Sanders had two toes on his left foot amputated due to blood clots stemming from a previous surgery. The Jackson State head coach and NFL Hall of Famer revealed the severity of his foot injury in an upcoming episode of his “Coach Prime” documentary series that will air Tuesday night, March 8, 2022, on Barstool Sports.(AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr., File) (Hakim Wright Sr./AP)
Deion Sanders Atlanta Braves' Deion Sanders reacts after scoring in the third inning from third base on a sacrifice fly to tie Game 6 of the World Series at 1-1, at Atlanta, Oct. 24, 1992. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy) (Rusty Kennedy/AP)
Deion Sanders Former NFL player Deion Sanders, right, and guest arrive at the 3rd annual NFL Honors at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision for NFL/AP Images) (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Deion Sanders Deion Sanders poses with a bust of himself during the induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) (Tony Dejak/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Deion Sanders Former NFL player Deion Sanders, right, and Tracey Edmonds arrive at the 7th Annual NFL Honors at the Cyrus Northrop Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Peter Barreras/Invision for NFL/AP Images) (Peter Barreras/Peter Barreras/Invision/AP)
Deion Sanders Deion Sanders acknowledges the crowd, Sunday, Jan. 15, 1995, as his San Francisco 49ers' defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 38-28, to win the NFC Championship. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Paul Sakuma/AP)
Deion Sanders Shannon Sharpe, right, poses for photographs with Deion Sanders, poses for photographs with NFL commission Roger Goodell after he was selected as the xxx by the in the first round of the NFL football draft at Radio City Music Hall Thursday, April 28, 2011, in New York. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin) (Stephen Chernin/ASSOCIATED PRESS)