On Monday morning, Deion Sanders held a press conference to reveal that his health issues have been a battle with bladder cancer that have been cleared, allowing him to thankfully coach the Colorado Buffaloes this season. On Tuesday’s episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith spoke glowingly about his friend and his encouragement to others.
Coach Prime had missed time throughout the offseason with an unspecified health issue. When a press conference was announced with personal and school doctors, nobody quite knew what to expect while fearing the worst. However, Sanders announced that his cancer had successfully been removed, although he is having to deal with some lifestyle changes.
On First Take, Smith commended Sanders for sharing his personal health struggles and being such a positive role model for his players and others. Specifically, he lifted up the Colorado coach for sharing his vulnerabilities and still maintaining such a positive attitude throughout his personal struggles and the impact that makes on his players and others.
.@stephenasmith commends Deion Sanders after he announced he is cancer-free ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Cx9m8EPYeA
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 29, 2025
“He’s a beautiful person. People who know him, who he talks to, who he confides in, I mean, we see the public persona and we know that when he walks into a room he just has that magnetic effect and he takes over,” Smith said. “And he’s able to disguise a lot of things if he so chooses to do so. And the fact that he’s been so open about his struggles throughout the years is just a testament not only to his will, how blessed he believes he is, but the importance to him to be able to bless others by sharing his experiences, by showing his vulnerabilities, by being open about the challenges that he faces, and obviously his perseverance in overcoming it.”
Stephen A. Smith talked about his own personal health journey, drawing encouragement from First Take host Molly Qerim and other professional athletes at the network to get in good shape himself. He then returned to Deion Sanders, saying that he was in communication with the Colorado head coach multiple times while Sanders was going through his cancer battle and saying how thrilled he was to see him now on the other side.
“He’s extending it now to all of us, just reminding us about prioritizing taking care of yourself, putting God first and doing everything that you can to be the best that you can possibly be. So, I love my brother. I’m happy that he’s better. We had spoken on several occasions over the last several weeks. I knew this press conference was coming. It’s just nice to see him in good spirits because without question there were rough patches, but he’s still here. He’s still fighting. I love him. I’m proud of him. And I’m just wishing him nothing but the best.”
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