Deion Sanders sends strong message to former NFL star following cancer battle

Deion Sanders sends strong message to former NFL star following cancer battle originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Deion Sanders has always been that ray of light that brightens the dimmest lit room.

The Hall of Famer talked about the number of surgeries he’s endured since leaving his 14-year professional career at a press conference on Monday. The number equals the amount of years he spent in the NFL. The baker’s dozen plus one has weighed on Sanders, especially with his latest bout with bladder cancer. 

Now that Sanders is on the other side, he’s able to take in the entire experience. Being a premier athlete from the late 80’s until he retired in 2005, it’s hard to pinpoint how many games Coach Prime sat out during his playing days is hard to find. The Colorado Buffaloes head coach's latest setback wasn’t something he expected because he was going to see the doctors for his routine checkup on something else that was ailing him.  

Finding out that he needed to remove his bladder immediately was unexpected to say the least. Fans saw short clips of him spending time with his grandson, Snow, next to his eldest daughter Deiondra Sanders. They also saw him fishing with old friends and didn’t fully understand what was going on in the background.   

As Coach Prime stated, his oldest son Deion Sanders Jr, was there with him every day through this latest journey, making sure they had receipts of what took place in case anyone wanted to question the validity of his health. He also has Karrueche Tran by his side, who has been linked to Sanders during the offseason. She was with him when he was having his bladder removed via Well Off Media.  

Coach Prime stated during his press conference that he didn’t want to see anyone because he wasn’t his normal self.  His jubilant nature has become so infectious since he first stepped on the football field, being a threat to teams by returning kicks and punts during his days at Florida State, to the true ‘Prime Time’ days in the NFL. Sanders received calls from former NFL players and other well-known figures who wanted to make sure he was in positive spirits.  

However, there was one NFL player who went above and beyond. Mostly due to his own health setback, but he took the time to reach out to Coach Prime to provide him with positive feedback. Randy Moss made it his mission to touch base with Sanders often over the past four months.

Related: Deion Sanders had bladder removed, “cured from the cancer” before season

The NFL great, who battled Bile Duct Cancer, had surgery to remove the tumor. Moss called Sanders every other day. He providing him the necessary information, because Moss understood what the beloved coach would need to make it through this difficult time and stressed the importance of taking care of himself.

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There aren’t many like Moss. Not on the field or off. Sanders took time to recognize his efforts and let it be known he’s a one-of-a-kind human. 

Related: Deion Sanders adds another Super Bowl-winning coach to Colorado staff

“Randy Moss… Man. I love him to life,” Sanders said. “Love him more than ever. I pray, he tells me he’s coming to a game this year. I pray that, but he gave me so much strength and so much guidance, and so much love and appreciation. Thank you Randy. I appreciate you, I really do.”

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.