When Deion Sanders says something, he means it.
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 in recent months.
There were even rumors swirling that he’d step down as head coach at Colorado, but those turned out to be untrue… thankfully.
That being said, he did have quite the health scare in 2025. Coach Prime held a press conference back in July to reveal 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.
And though he’s cancer free, there are still issues that Sanders is dealing with after his battle with cancer. In that very press conference, Coach Prime stated that he now “depends on Depends,” and that he and his grandson are going through the “same problems” right now.
You’ve got to commend Sanders’ transparency with the situation, and he revealed later in the press conference that he’d have a porta-potty on the sideline at games this season since he had his bladder removed:
“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.”
<blockquote class=”tiktok-embed” cite=”https://www.tiktok.com/@cfbonfox/video/7532187722841083167″ data-video-id=”7532187722841083167″ style=”max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;” > <section> <a target=”_blank” title=”@cfbonfox” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/@cfbonfox?refer=embed”>@cfbonfox</a> <p>Deion Sanders breaks down the new challenges he is facing now that he is cancer-free. #deionsanders #colorado #coachprime</p> <a target=”_blank” title=”♬ original sound – CFB on FOX” href=”https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-CFB-on-FOX-7532192879683980062?refer=embed”>♬ original sound – CFB on FOX</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src=”https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js”></script>
Many thought that was somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek comment, but we’re finding out now that he was 100% serious about having the porta-potty at his disposable during gamedays… and it’s sponsored by Depend.
The first sign that was on the way was a post Sanders sent out around a week ago. The Colorado Buffaloes head coach shared a Depend ad through his social media account, while also encouraging others to get health screenings to take care of themselves:
“I wasn’t joking! I truly DEPEND on Depend. Ain’t NO SHAME in taking care of yourself. NO SHAME in getting health screenings. And there certainly ain’t NO SHAME in needing added protection or using Depend to stay in the game. That’s not weakness — that’s WINNING.”
And sure enough, just hours ahead of Colorado’s highly anticipated matchup with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, USA Today Sports reporter Brent Schrotenboer confirmed that a porta-potty – with a Depend logo on it – was set up on the Colorado sideline:
“Deion Sanders wasn’t joking. There is a portable toilet on the sideline, sponsored by Depend, the adult underwear brand. Sanders had his cancerous bladder removed in May.”
Hey… whatever works, and shoutout to Deion for tackling the stigma around Depend.
I’m just happy that Deion Sanders is healthy enough – and feeling good enough – to grace the sidelines of Folsom Field and continue coaching the Buffaloes. Believe it or not, Deion Sanders is embarking on his third season as the Colorado head coach (time flies, eh?). He’s looking to follow up a respectable 9-4 season, in which his squad went 7-2 in their first year in the Big 12 Conference.
Good luck to him and the Buffaloes, and good for Deion for yet again being a trendsetter and encouraging others to take care of themselves, and not be ashamed to do so.
