Photo: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty
Before kick off this Saturday,Deion Sandersplans to run onto the field alongside his Colorado players when the team takes on TCU.
It’s a lofty goal considering the retired two-sport pro athlete has been dealing with ongoing foot problems, and what he calls “a multitude of surgeries” related to the amputation ofhis left big toe and second toe in 2021. In June, he underwent a procedure to alleviate blood clots in both of his legs, and he’s been wearing a protective boot on his left foot since.
But Coach Prime is manifesting the gameday vision with his trademark determination, as he aims to turn around a program that went 1-11 last year and has had only one winning season since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
For Sanders, it’s all about beginning a new chapter — and maintaining a steady focus on what matters most.
So while he has little to share when asked about his opinion on his former team the Dallas Cowboys, or how his alma mater (Florida St.) will fare in conference realignment for that matter, he has plenty to say about how much he likes his chances this year.
Deion Sanders.Brien Hollowell
Brien Hollowell
“I don’t care really,” he says about any pushback he’s gotten since his hiring last December. “I mean, I’m honest, I’m brutally honest. I think honesty is still appreciated in some cities and some states.”
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Plus, he adds: “I love challenges. That’s one thing I’ve always been attracted to.”
Through it all, Sanders has made sure to pay attention to his own health — and that’s where his new partnership with California Almonds comes into play.
“I was a person who always enjoyed almonds for the health part of it and how it kept me lean, my physical presence,” he says about the ad campaign, which will run throughout the NCAA football season. “You’ve got to understand, I’ve been through a multitude of surgeries, so to be able to recover from the exercise that I’m putting in now with strengthening my whole body and strengthening everything about myself is tremendous.”
“And just being in my prime,” he says, possibly pun intended. “I feel like this is the third phase of my life, although I’m a long way from done. It was like Prime Time. Then I went to Prime. And now it’s Coach Prime, and I love it.”
source: people.com
