Coach Prime is a class act.
Deion Sanders has been in the spotlight a lot in his life. Whether it was his playing days in NFL and MLB, his time at the HBCU Jackson State, or his current coaching gig with the Colorado Buffaloes, a lot of eyes have always been on him. And that’s especially been the case as his personal health has been under a microscope as late.
There were even rumors swirling that he’d step down as head coach at Colorado, but those turned out to be untrue… thankfully.
But even as “Primetime” has gotten a lot of attention, Deion took today to shine the spotlight on someone else. Specifically, Coach Prime gave the floor to one of his players, running back Charlie Offerdahl, and allowed him to share the tough news with his teammates that he would be retiring from football due to head injuries he had sustained previously:
“Obviously I haven’t been here this summer, and if it’s not obvious already, I won’t be coming back this year. With how serious this last concussion was, and the many I’ve had leading up to it, it’s been pretty scary for me and my family. I will be hanging it up. I just wanted to take this time to let everybody know here, and thank you guys…
And Coach Prime, I love you coach. When you first came in, you believed in me when nobody else did. Not even myself. I can’t thank you enough for that. As a player, you can’t ask for anything else in a coach.”
Offerdahl went on to share that he had played football since he was in the 3rd grade, and that he loved using the platform the sport gave him to spread his faith and love for the Lord. But with the concussions he had suffered, and the fact that he was in the process of applying for dental school, the young man made the decision to step away from football.
Deion Sanders said that he was “for him 100%” and the decision that he made. Coach Prime wrapped his arm around Charlie after he was through delivering his message to the team, and Deion had a statement of his own to share. The Colorado Buffaloes head coach announced that they’d keep Offerdahl on scholarship even though he was stepping away from the sport, and that he’d do his best to “bless him” financially with dental school:
“You guys know how I feel about the OG’s, the OB’s – Original Buffs. If there’s somebody out there that’s in control of a dental school, I want to make sure we take care of him. We gonna get somebody out there to bless you.
I know you are stepping away from this, but we’re going to continue your scholarship. We’re gonna pay for everything for him because I love him. I wish to God that we just had 11 players (that have) what he has inside of him and what makes him who he is … love you man and appreciate you man, we’re gonna take care of you.”
What a touching moment.
Sometimes sports are bigger than sports. I know that sounds silly, but think about it. The connection Coach Prime and his running back had transcended the player-coach relationship. Though the football element was removed, Deion stuck by Offerdahl and blessed him with a gift that will go on far past the running back’s athletic career.
Deion Sanders Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
The sideline at Colorado might look a little different this year.
Head football coach Deion Sanders held a press conference yesterday to reveal the news that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer earlier this year. Dr. Janet Kukreja, his doctor at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, said Sanders had his bladder removed after a tumor was found and that he had been “cured” from the cancer.
Sanders said the surgery was scheduled not long after the 2025 NFL Draft, where the story became about his son, Shedeur, fell from a potential, and seemingly likely, first-round NFL Draft pick to the fifth round, ultimately being drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
Deion, 57, is of course a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and has been the head coach at Colorado since 2023, achieving a 9-4 record and a top 25 ranking by the end of last season, but Sanders spent time at home in Texas after the team’s spring practice to deal with health issues. He declined to answer any questions regarding his health during the Big 12 media days earlier in July, but he was extremely candid about everything during yesterday’s presser.
Sanders called it a “whole life change,” even explaining more specifics about his health challenges:
“It’s a whole life change. Like I can’t, and I’m gonna be transparent, I can’t pee like I used to pee. It’s totally different.”
He joked that he now “depends on Depends,” and he and his grandson are going through the “same problems” right now… but Sanders wanted to be very transparent with everyone, saying he will have a porta-potty on the sideline at games this season, as well as practice and everywhere else because that’s just a result of having his bladder removed and the surgery he had to remove the cancer (his new bladder was created with parts of his intestine, in case you were wondering):
“Now I depend on Depend if you know what I mean. I truly depend on Depends. I cannot control my bladder. So I get up to go to the bathroom already 4-5 times a night. And I’m sitting there waking up like my grandson. We in the same thing. We got the same problem right now.
We’re going through the same trials and tribulations. We see who has the heaviest bag at the end of the night. It’s ridiculous. I’m making a joke out of it, but it’s real… so if you see a porta-potty on the sideline, it’s real, okay? I’m just telling you right now, you’re gonna see it. You’re gonna see it at practice, you’re gonna see one, because it is unbelievable.
It’s just totally different and I know there’s a lot of people out there going through what I am going through and dealing with what I am dealing with and let’s stop being ashamed of it and let’s deal with it. And let’s deal with it head on.”
It might not be the glamorous, over-the-top Deion Sanders we’re used to, but I thought it was very impressive how open he was about it and how much he wants others who might be going through something similar to be able to relate and understand that they’re not alone.
It’s great to hear that he’s no cancer-free, and if coach Prime has to take several bathroom breaks during games this season, it is what it is, and I’m sure he’ll be back to his regularly scheduled programming with his team as we approach the start of college football season very soon:
@cfbonfoxDeion Sanders breaks down the new challenges he is facing now that he is cancer-free. #deionsanders #colorado #coachprime♬ original sound – CFB on FOX
The full press conference is available below.
