Jackson State’s Sanders talks foot, health
Deion Sanders is feeling much better, as he continues to recover from having two of his toes amputated, he said on The Rich Eisen Show.
"I'm not high-stepping yet, but the hand is behind the head. I'm moving slowly, but surely and I'm moving briskly, I really am," said Sanders.
Sanders, who is entering his third season as Jackson State football coach, is leading the team through spring practice.
He's been posting Instagram videos of himself working out on an elliptical machine and lifting weights.
Sanders said he's gained a lot of strength since his time in the hospital. He missed three games during the 2021 season after doctors found blood clots in his leg that led to his left big toe and the one next to it being amputated.
"I'm on my elliptical again because I had lost like 40 pounds," said Sanders. "When I was in the hospital, I lost 40 pounds, I wasn't eating nothing but applesauce. Lost 40 pounds, but I gained 50 back. So now I can't fit in my suits so I have to trim down because I hadn't been able to do cardio. I was eating everything in the world. I mean I was Chris Rock-ish at one point. I'm trying to get to the old Prime right now."
Sanders explained that his suits are custom made for him, and don't have belt loops, which doesn't leave much room for weight gain.
"I had a big celebration that we had a few weeks ago and I had to lay on my back to fit the pants, man," Sanders said. "That don't even make sense ... I wasn't proud of myself because I lost too much, then I ate everything ii can and I fell in love with those Ensure drinks. I fell in love with those. If anybody is out there listening from Ensure, I'm looking for an endorsement."
Despite his health complications, Sanders returned to coach the Tigers in a wheelchair against rival Southern where his son Shedeur threw the gamewinning touchdown pass. He later led JSU to its first SWAC football title since 2007.
JSU also made it's first appearance in the Celebration Bowl, the de facto HBCU national championship game that was established in 2015.
Sanders won the Eddie Robinson Award for top FCS coach.
"It was crazy, man. We couldn't tell anybody, we couldn't say nothing to anybody," Sanders said. "And then having a couple of my digits amputated at the same time and both of my legs dug out on the side. My kids told me it looks like a shark bit me on both sides of my legs. I don't think you'll see me in shorts anytime soon, but I'm better."