Deion Sanders' Big 12 Media Days Health Update Showcases One-Year Transformation

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders gave his most promising health update yet at Big 12 Football Media Days.

Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At Big 12 Football Media Days, Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders gave the most positive update on his health yet. When asked about something his younger self would be proud of, he pointed to where he currently is on his health journey.

Sanders compared where he was health-wise during last year’s Big 12 Football Media Days to his much better condition in 2026. Here’s a look at what he had to say about his health and how far he’s come in his health journey.

Deion Sanders’s Big 12 Media Days Health Update

Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As Sanders was reflecting on how Colorado has changed him, as well as how he has changed at Colorado, he looked to a transformation that his younger self would be proud of. His grueling fight against bladder cancer took a major toll on him during the 2025 season, but he’s battled his way back and recently declared himself ‘cancer-free’ ahead of the 2026 campaign.

“My younger self would be proud that I was here last year fighting a battle called cancer, and now I'm here with full strength, full energy,” said Sanders during his main stage press conference. “I got that thing back, I got that swagger back, I got that dog back, I got that charisma back."

Sanders has pulled off a full turnaround in the span of a year, as Big 12 Football Media Days were a much darker time for him in 2025.

Deion Sanders’ Condition During 2025 Big 12 Media Days

Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not only was Sanders still battling cancer, but he was in arguably the worst of it at that time. But now, Sanders is back to full strength and resembling his younger self more than ever.

"See, last year I had shorts on under the suit, I had a sweat suit on under the suit, because I was probably 15 pounds down, looking like Eddie Kane up here, for those of you that have seen the Five Heartbeats,” Sanders said. “But now I'm ready, I'm back, I'm trying, I'm close to 204 [pounds], I'm back, baby, like, like I cannot wait. I cannot wait to get back on that sideline and do our thing. I can't wait to get back to camp. I can't wait to get back in.”

How Deion Sanders’s Improved Health Will Benefit the Colorado Buffaloes

Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sanders’s involvement in Colorado’s preseason workouts and training camp will do wonders for their chances at success in 2026. Coach Prime’s battle with cancer forced him to miss almost the entirety of the Buffs’ 2025 preseason, and the negative impacts his absence had on the program were noticeable.

First, the play on the field took a substantial hit. Colorado’s locker room searched desperately for leaders to emerge, but none truly did. The Buffs’ chemistry diminished as the season carried on, and the losses continued to stack as a result.

His absence was felt in the personnel department as well. Colorado’s recruiting suffered major regression as Sanders was unable to help draw recruits into Boulder. Additionally, the Buffs swung and missed in the transfer portal, producing very few stars despite the high volume of players they added.

Sanders returning in 2026 has already flipped those endeavors in the right direction, as Colorado has seen surges on the recruiting trail and one of the most promising portal classes in the country. While the level of play still waits to be seen, there is a much higher level of optimism in the air in Boulder, Colorado.

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