FRISCO, Texas — Colorado athletic director Rick George instructed The Athletic on Wednesday that he expects coach Deion Sanders to return to campus in Boulder “in every week or two, most likely” following an unspecified well being difficulty that stored him away for months.
George mentioned the 2 had been in fixed contact since Sanders left campus to cope with his well being and get better at his ranch in Canton, Texas, in late April.
George spoke shortly after Sanders took the stage at Huge 12 Media Days, the coach’s first public look since April. He refused to debate his well being difficulty.
“I’m not right here to speak about my well being,” Sanders mentioned. “I’m right here to speak about my workforce.”
Sanders hosted an NFL Draft get together at his dwelling for his son Shedeur in April, however hasn’t made any public appearances because the Buffaloes’ spring recreation on April 19. His son had been projected by some to be a high decide within the draft, however slid to the fifth spherical the place he was chosen by the Cleveland Browns.
George mentioned there was no particular plan when Sanders left Colorado.
“I don’t suppose we had been ever frightened a couple of plan. He is aware of what he needs to do, and I do know what I wish to do, and we share these ideas,” George mentioned.
Sanders’ former Dallas Cowboys teammate, Michael Irvin, accompanied him to Wednesday’s occasion. Sanders arrived in a grey go well with, Colorado ballcap and sun shades and displayed his signature showmanship on the microphone all through his almost 20 minutes on the stage. He participated in a coaches roundtable afterward and likewise did two on-air interviews with ESPN.
Earlier this week, a Colorado spokesperson expressed uncertainty about whether or not or not Sanders would be capable of attend the occasion.
Sanders had little to say about what his day-to-day life regarded like throughout his time away from campus.
“Common day? I’m wanting good. I’m residing beautiful. God has really blessed me. Not a care on the earth. Not a need or need on the earth,” he mentioned.
An individual briefed on the state of affairs instructed The Athletic that Sanders was in contact together with his teaching employees day by day however didn’t seem at Colorado’s youth camps throughout his absence and wasn’t on campus throughout a feverish, five-week recruiting contact interval in the course of the summer time.
Sanders mentioned fellow coaches known as him, and Huge 12 commissioner Brett Yormark would name him day by day to test on his well being. Former Colorado participant Travis Hunter visited Sanders not too long ago, and the 2 hung out fishing on a pond on Sanders’ property.
Sanders has a historical past of blood clot points, and in 2021, had two toes amputated. In 2023, he had surgical procedure to alleviate the clots that stored him from attending Pac-12 media days and spent most of that offseason in ache and limping earlier than reaching his said objective of working out on the sphere together with his workforce to start the season.
Sanders hasn’t publicly said the character of the well being difficulty that stored him away from campus, however he posted on X final month that he would replace individuals as soon as he returned to Boulder and that he was excited to be on campus quickly.
Sanders was clear Wednesday about his expectations for the Buffaloes in his third season: He needs to play for a Huge 12 title.
“We wish to win,” Sanders mentioned. “We wish to win in any respect prices and be in that championship.”
(Photograph of Deion Sanders at Huge 12 media days: Raymond Carlin III / Imagn Photographs)
