"It was just horrendous": When Deion Sanders shared story behind his toe surgery after 14-year stint in NFL

Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders is one of the most talented athletes America has produced. Famously known as "Prime Time," the two-sport athlete ripped apart the 90s through his athleticism, but that took a physical toll on his body. He opened up about its severity in February 2018 while appearing on "The Dan Patrick Show."

During the 1998 season with the Dallas Cowboys, Sanders suffered an injury that damaged his toe so much that it had to be shaved down and straightened.

"It’s the closest thing they call to ‘turf toe,’" Sanders said. "It was just horrendous, I mean, I’ve never felt anything like it. It was so bad it had begun to be hammertoe… You could hit it on top with a hammer, because it’s numb. It’s numb right now, but it hurts."

Over the years, the 57-year-old, who is now in his second year as the Colorado football coach, has had multiple surgeries, but the pain remains the same. It got so bad in March 2022 that Deion was advised to amputate his left leg. In the end, Sanders had two toes amputated due to blood clots, a complication from the 12 surgeries he’d undergone earlier to resolve the issue.

In June 2024, during an ad shoot, he showed his foot to the Colorado athletes, emphasizing the importance of perseverance.

“You know, that makes me know that, that we carry around things in life that are no longer with us, but it's with us," Sanders said. "Sometimes it hurts where the toes are supposed to be and that's unbelievable."

As a former player turned coach, Deion Sanders continues to inspire through pain and adversity.

Former NFL athlete makes fun of Deion Sanders' toe

Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson took a sly dig at Deion Sanders’ infamous toe injury during a recent "NightCap” episode. As the two legends discussed Colorado sensation Travis Hunter with Shannon Sharpe, who was also present as the co-host, Johnson saw an opportunity to roast his old friend. While he talked about checking out Travis’ game, the former NFL wide receiver said:

“The kind of teacher I am, I don’t do it with words. I’ll put the cleats on and actually show. I come out there, route Travis’ a** out there and then lock him up.”

To this, Sanders replied:

“What if I get mad that you routed Travis up and I put my cleats on.”

"You can’t do nothing with eight toes now," Johnson quipped, referring to Sanders’ toe amputation. [02:03:15]

Sanders, never one to back down, laughed off the jab, responding, "I set you up for that!" The banter was all in good fun.

Also read: "They're gonna hunt, they're gonna eat": Deion Sanders once made coldest entry with eye-opening speech at Colorado