Deion Sanders has not been in the headlines for months, and that’s a bit of a shocker. If you’ve paid attention to the NFL or college football over the last two years, you know the media could barely go an hour without reporting on something Deion said or something someone said about him. But this offseason has been different.
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The media has surprisingly shown restraint and respect for Coach Prime as he dealt with an undisclosed health issue. Then, on Monday, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach announced in his first press conference in a while that he’d been dealing with bladder cancer.
But not to worry, he had his doctors up on the podium with him, and they confirmed that the surgery he underwent to remove his bladder was successful. They confidently announced that Neon Deion is “cured.”
Hallelujah. That’s surely what Coach Prime was thinking, as he’s never been shy about how important his faith is to him. During his presser, he said that nothing came before his faith. But the next most important thing to him was family.
And he made sure to show love and give shoutouts to the family members who took the time to be with him while he battled bladder cancer. The most important was his eldest son, Deion Jr., whom he calls “Junior.”
“Much love to my son, Junior, who has not left my side since we found out what was taking place. Not one day. He’s been with me here; he’s been with me in Texas. He’s been with me everywhere. Every day, I’ve seen his handsome face. I love you to life, son, and I thank you for everything that you’ve brought to the table,” Prime said.
"Much love to my son Junior, who has not left my side since we found out what was taking place." – @DeionSanders
Deion Sanders Jr. stood by his father through it all ❤️ pic.twitter.com/h6LUxNr2bB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 28, 2025
Junior has been ever-present around his father during this whole ordeal. Sanders’ eldest child and daughter, Deiondra, and her young son Snow, were also there for support during Coach Prime’s convalescence. But Junior was clearly the rock.
And he had to be. His two younger brothers were in the midst of their first offseasons in the NFL. If anyone would understand that commitment, it’s Deion Sanders. And Junior likely knew that too.
All told, the 31-year-old replied to the video of his father’s praise, echoing Coach Prime’s dedication to God and his faith.
“God is the greatest.”
Of course, the question came up at Deion’s return presser: Will you keep coaching after such a serious health ordeal? And of course, Coach Prime said that he has every intention to be on the Buffaloes’ sidelines in 2025. He said that while football wasn’t his first consideration when he was deciding on how to deal with his cancer, it was up there behind faith and family.
Deion further said he got the surgery rather than different kinds of treatments because he didn’t want to have a regular schedule of going into the hospital for tests every week, which would keep him from Buffaloes’ practice. He even made a joke, saying that he might have to get a porta-potty on hand on the sidelines during games moving forward.
Deion Sanders’ positivity in the face of such harrowing hardships is truly an inspiration to all. And he couldn’t have done it without Junior, so salute to him too.
