Pro Football Hall of Famer and Jackson State University head football coach Deion Sanders has opened up about how he cried to God to spare his life last year during a weekslong hospital stay.

During the 2021 college football season, Sanders missed three games after doctors found blood clots in his leg. The clots were severe and required two of his toes to be amputated from his left foot. During a recent sit down in his Mississippi home with Chris Neely of “Thee Pregame Show,” Sanders reflected on the past year.

The 14-season NFL star said, “Shoot, it’s been a tremendous ride,” the 14-season NFL star said. “We may smell like the smoke because we’ve been through the fire. But I wouldn’t change none of it. I needed it. I love it, I’m proud of it, and I’m thankful for it. I got to really see God’s face and the different personalities of God, I feel.”

Sanders discussed his fear of possibly losing his life, saying, “It was a blessing. Because I could have lost my life very easily. It was there. It was a thought process of losing my leg from the knee down. It was almost there,” the legendary cornerback continued. “So when I look up and say thank you, Jesus, it’s because I know the quiet cries at night that were in that hospital.”

Sanders said he is “thankful” to have gone through the ordeal, adding it showed him more about God and his faith. “I got to really see God’s face and the different personalities of God, I feel,” he said. Throughout his hospital ordeal, the football great turned to prayer, explaining he spoke in tongues and praised Jesus during his stay.

“I’m pretty sure that some of those nurses thought I was crazy,” Sanders said, adding, “he called on the Lord all night.” While in recovery, Sanders said he cut his recovery time short to be present at a Jackson State game because his son Shedeur Sanders, the team quarterback, told him: “Dad, I need you.” Shedeur Sanders is a young man of few words, which compelled the loving father to be there for his child and the team.

Sanders has openly discussed past struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts and how finding Jesus helped save his life. Before that, he said he tried to “take himself out.” Sanders, who also played Major League Baseball and is known by the nickname “Prime Time,” gave his life to Christ in 1997 after the cornerback survived a suicide attempt.

He drove his car off a 40-foot cliff but was not significantly injured from the fall. Following that incident, he gave up his wilder lifestyle and dedicated his life to his newfound faith. Sanders said a few years ago during an appearance on “I Am Athlete,” “I gave my life to the Lord in a condo all alone in Cincinnati, Ohio, while I was playing baseball. I went through a roller coaster of emotions. I was at the bottom of, to me, what life was.” Let’s continue to pray for Deion Sanders as he publicly discusses his struggles.