Football Legend Shares Emotional Update After Amputation

John Biever / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images National Football League Hall of Famer cornerback Deion Sanders has received new toes four years after undergoing amputation.

The Colorado Buffaloes head coach, 59, had surgery in September 2021 for a dislocated toe and an inflamed nerve.

During his recovery, Sanders’s big toe and second toe of his left foot turned black, and doctors discovered three life-threatening blood clots.

He had the two toes amputated in 2022.

On Sept.

16, one of his five children, Deion Sanders Jr., posted a video of Sanders receiving two new toes on X .

In the video, Sanders was handed a white box holding his new prosthetic, which he joked was “wrapped up like they’re a gift.” His first reaction was visible amazement.

“That’s a nice toenail,” he said, looking at the prosthetic.

He turned it around and added, “That’s nice.” He put the prosthetic on and exclaimed, “I’m 10 toes down again!” Sanders—the only person in history to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series, having played outfielder for the Atlanta Braves in 1992—admitted he needed more practice walking with the new prosthetic.

“I feel like it’s dragging,” he said while taking his first steps, joking that his toes and the new ones “haven’t made friends yet.” Sanders was excited to be back to his own shoe size of 11.5 after feeling that his shoe was “sagging” without his two toes.

A healthcare worker assisting Sanders explained that the new toes would help his other toes not “collapse” to the right and avoid friction and blisters.

It’s Official pic.twitter.com/7bsWKyN39x — Deion Sanders Jr (@DeionSandersJr) September 17, 2026 “I want to thank them all involved,” Sanders said.

“It’s a blessing.” He also admired the color match, but joked that his toes were not yet happy with the newcomers.

“It’s sort of like a dorm room, and there’s five people in the dorm now, instead of three,” he joked.