Don’t Let Your Mobility Affect Your Ability

Athletic competition has always been a huge part of my life.  Throughout the years, I played everything from baseball, football, pick-up soccer and basketball, golf, tennis…you name the sport, and I dabbled in it.

I’m intrigued and in awe of people who love to compete and who have taken their athletic skill set to the highest level.  One of the best, most talented, and physically gifted athletes that I witnessed was Deion Sanders.  Prime Time. 

Deion Sanders has always been one of my favorites to watch when it comes to sports.  We are about the same age and we both grew up in the same era.  I saw him in person when he played for the Falcons and the Braves.  At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of his flashy “Prime Time” persona, but I’ve evolved over time and as I’ve learned more about him.

Make no doubt about it—Deion Sanders was a rare athlete who played at the highest level in both the National Football League and Major League Baseball.  Deion was blessed with speed, coordination, and a highly competitive and confident mindset.  During his 14-year professional football career, he was consistently named to the All-Pro team and is considered to be one of the best (if not the best) defensive backs and strongest pass defenders to ever put on the pads.  He played for the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins, and the Baltimore Ravens.  Sanders was inducted in both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After attending college at Florida State University where he starred in three sports (track, football, and baseball), Deion was drafted by the Kansas City Royals but did not sign with them.  He was selected again in 1988 by the New York Yankees and made his MLB debut for them in 1989.  “Prime” played major league baseball for the Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, the Cincinnati Reds, and the San Francisco Giants.

Deion Sanders is the only athlete to play in a Super Bowl and World Series.

After his playing days ended, Deion caught the coaching bug and has taught and mentored young men at the high school and college levels.  After successfully leading the football program at Jackson State University, Sanders was named the head coach at the University of Colorado in December 2023 where he currently is employed.

What many people don’t know about Sanders (now known as “Coach Prime”) is that he has faced many health issues after his playing career ended.  In 2021, he underwent several foot surgeries due to blood clots and eventually had two toes amputated.  Recently in July of 2025, Sanders revealed that he had been wrestling with bladder cancer.  Due to early detection and the removal of his bladder, he is now cancer-free.

Being a college football fanatic, I followed “Coach Prime” when he coached at Jackson State and currently keep up with his Colorado program.  In addition to his version of the X’s and O’s of football, the things that have impressed me the most about Deion are his mindset, mission, openness to sharing his faith, and how he positively impacts others.

The time frame when he had two toes amputated coincided with my diagnosis of hereditary spastic paraparesis.  I was wrestling with my lack of mobility.  I couldn’t walk or run like I used to.  My athleticism and coordination were non-existent, and I couldn’t move around like I did a few short years ago.  I was confused.  Angry.  My confidence was shot.  About that time, I heard “Coach Prime” discuss his amputation and the fact that he was two toes short of ten.  Someone asked him about it in an interview, and he explained that people shouldn’t feel sorry for him.  “Look man, I’ve done all that” he said with a smile.  He’s run (Deion ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at the 1989 NFL Scouting Combine).  He’s played two professional sports at the highest levels. He has sprinted around on the football and baseball fields in a way that very few people get to experience.   He explained that he’s done all of that and that he doesn’t need to move like he used to. 

That really hit home with me and put things in perspective.  It gave me a different way of looking at my current situation.  Deion’s words made me immediately feel better.  While I certainly didn’t come close to playing sports at the level that “Prime” did, I did walk/run/hike/and move around fluidly and smoothly in the past.  I honestly do not need to do that any longer.  I am still “me”.  I am just slower.

Recently, I watched “Coach Prime” openly talk about his health issues on YouTube (Thee Pregame Network https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8asowQWg04&t=451s ).  He said two things that really inspired and reassured me.  Deion confidently explained that God has a plan for him and that none of his current health issues are going to stop God’s plan.  His mobility can be affected, but not his ability.  He also stated that if something happens to him, then something is going to happen for him.

If you are facing challenges such as the lack of mobility…don’t be hard on yourself.  You are still you.  You just travel through life a little differently than you did in the past. 

Stay positive. 

Strive to be an encouraging influence on others. 

Keep working God’s plan for you.

Keep moving forward!