David Pollack Sends Powerful Message to Deion Sanders After Coach Beats Cancer originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Last year, coach Deion Sanders oversaw a remarkable turnaround, guiding the Colorado Buffaloes from a 1-11 record in 2022 to a 9-4 finish in 2024, their best mark since joining the Big 12.
Despite the losses of Heisman winner Travis Hunter and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (and son) Shedeur Sanders, expectations remain high as Sanders enters his third season with the program.
Behind the scenes, however, Sanders has battled a life‑altering health crisis.
At a press conference on Monday, the 57‑year‑old coach revealed that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer this spring.
His medical team at UCHealth removed the organ and reconstructed a new bladder from a segment of his small intestine, a procedure that, according to Dr. Janet Kukreja of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, has rendered him “cured” of the disease.
Among the first to send well‑wishes was former Georgia linebacker and ex‑ESPN college football analyst David Pollack, who posted on X, “Praise God! Coach is a warrior man. Keep doing your thing Prime.”
Praise God!
Coach is a warrior man. Keep doing your thing Prime https://t.co/OGHgdwTRDM
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) July 28, 2025
Long before his days in Boulder, Sanders forged a Hall of Fame resume as one of the most electrifying athletes in two major American sports.
A unanimous first‑team All‑American cornerback at Florida State, he won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1988 before being selected fifth overall in the 1989 NFL Draft.
Over 14 NFL seasons with five teams, Sanders earned eight Pro Bowl nods, six first‑team All‑Pro selections and two Super Bowl rings (XXIX with the San Francisco 49ers and XXX with the Dallas Cowboys).
He also spent nine seasons in the MLB, appearing in the 1992 World Series with the Atlanta Braves, making him the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Since taking over at Colorado in December 2022, Sanders has become the face of a program reborn, earning both the SI Sportsman of the Year in 2023 and a contract extension through the 2029 season valued at $54 million.
Related: Robert Griffin III Makes Stance Clear on Shedeur Sanders After Browns Practice
Related: Shedeur Sanders Makes $500K Purchase After Signing NFL Contract
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.