BOULDER, Colorado — Deion Sanders isn't worried about the future. He's only concerned with the present — and how his team is going to beat the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday.
With so much uncertainty around Sanders' future as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders recently told the Associated Press that he's "a one day at a time type of guy."
"We've got to win," Sanders said, as the Buffaloes prepare to host Arizona for homecoming on Saturday. "That's the only thing I'm worried about. My health is wonderful. I'm good. I'm not thinking about anything but winning."
Sanders has endured multiple health issues over the last year. In early October, the 58-year-old had a small procedure for blood clots in his leg.Â
“It don’t make sense," Sanders said after Colorado's loss to TCU. "I’m hurting like crazy. I’m not getting blood to my leg. That’s why my leg is throbbing.â€
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Earlier this year, Sanders was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which he revealed in July.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders points as he responds to a question during a news conference after the team’s loss to TCU on Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas.
“When we hear that word (cancer), it’s usually a life sentence attached to it," Sanders said. "But not this time. Not this time, because God got me. ... Slowly but surely, I built myself back up. I’m able, I’m strong. It has been a tremendous journey and I’m truly thankful that God is so good. God is so good, you have no idea. You have no idea how good God has been for me to be here."Â
Sanders' latest health scares won't deter him from coaching.Â
"I'm going to coach until I don't have that urge to get up in the morning and go get it and go help and go be a blessing," Sanders said.Â
He added: "My health is not going to increase sitting on the lake fishing. My health is not going increase sitting at my property in Texas, having a good time or sitting back, drinking some sweet iced teas and eating some honey buns and watching television. I'm not damaging or putting my health at risk by doing what I'm doing. Matter of fact, it's enhancing my health, doing the things I do."
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said he tried reaching out to Sanders after his diagnosis and left the Colorado coach an encouraging message, but Sanders changed his number.Â
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders looks on from a golf cart as players take part in drills during practice, Aug. 14, in Boulder, Colo.
"Some random person responded, 'Can you please tell whoever this is that I am not whoever you think I am?'" Brennan said with a laugh. "Whoever it was that has his old number doesn't know that number belonged to Deion Sanders. Can you imagine how many messages he's getting?"
ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV offensive coordinator Seth Doege has yet to meet Sanders, but the Texas native reveres "Coach Prime" from his days as a star for the Dallas Cowboys.
"I had a Deion Sanders jersey growing up and I wore a bandana," Doege said. "I used to wear that jersey all the time thinking I was pretty sweet."Â
Just over two years ago was when Colorado became one of college football's top storylines, when Sanders left Jackson State and took over a downtrodden football program and brought his two sons, quarterback Sheduer Sanders and defensive back Shilo Sanders, along with Heisman Trophy-winning two-way star Travis Hunter over from JSU; the players are now in the NFL.
Despite a 16-17 overall record in two-plus seasons at CU, Sanders and his "Coach Prime" brand made Colorado football nationally relevant. How many other college football programs can say renowned hip-hop artists and notable professional athletes are roaming their sidelines?Â
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has some thoughts after the Buffaloes picked up a penalty late in the third quarter of their Big 12 game against Arizona in Tucson on Oct. 19, 2024.
"He's obviously done tremendous work at Colorado," Doege said. "In the coaching profession, he probably had a lot of doubters when he first took the job. Obviously he made it work."Â Â
Brennan has "an incredible amount of respect for him and the fact that he's battled through all of that," he said.
"My experience with Coach Sanders, he's a really good guy, he's fun to talk to and he's got something to say," said the Arizona coach. "Being around him in coaches meetings, he's got great insight on a lot of stuff that's going on in college football, so I really appreciate him."Â
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports

