Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has been rehabilitating in a weighted vest with the help of his son Deion Jr. as he tries to come back from an unspecified health issue and return to his job in Boulder.
Sanders, 57, provided two recent updates on Instagram, including one on Saturday that showed him wearing a weighted vest next to Deion Jr.
“Every little step I take My son @deionsandersjr has been there so we’ve decided to keep on stepping!” Sanders wrote in the post Saturday. “#CoachPrime coming to a stadium sold out soon.”
In another post from June 26, he used his situation to promote an energy drink sponsor in the same vest.
“1 step closer Everyday,” he wrote. “I’m Walking it out! Our Team is working their butts off therefore I’ve got to match that (fire) they have!”
Sanders Sr. has been away from his coaching job since April as he dealt with his health issue at his estate in Texas. He did not attend Colorado’s annual youth and high school camps in June even though operating such camps is listed in his Colorado contract as one of his official duties.
In May, he was unable to attend the wedding of former Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter in Tennessee.
“He know why we couldn’t be there,” Sanders Jr. said on his YouTube channel after Hunter’s wedding.
Sanders Sr. also canceled a speaking engagement in Florida scheduled for June 8.
The timing of his return to campus remains unclear, but he is scheduled to appear at a Big 12 Conference media event in Frisco, Texas on July 9.
Wearing weighted vests helps build strength and endurance. They also help stimulate the growth of new bone cells, according to Harvard Medical School.
Deion Jr. said in a video posted on YouTube June 21 that his father was “back active, moving around” and has made progress.
Sanders Sr. previously said on social media on June 11 that “everything is OKAY” and that he would provide a full update upon his return to Colorado.
In late May, Sanders Sr. appeared on a podcast with former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel and said that “what I’m dealing with right now is at a whole ‘nother level” but said he’s coming back after losing about 14 pounds.
Sanders previously battled issues with blood clots in his legs and had to miss a Pac-12 Conference media event in Las Vegas because of it in July 2023.
Colorado opens the 2025 football at home against Georgia Tech Aug. 29.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com