Michael Strahan couldn’t prevent his good friend from going too far during Good Morning America.
The GMA star was in the studio this week while his colleague Robin Roberts was away for a special assignment.
That meant Strahan held down the fort with a few familiar faces, presenting various news stories and interviewing guests.
One of those guests was Strahan’s former opponent on the football field, Deion Sanders.
The two football stars have left their playing days behind and have moved on to other careers.
Deion appeared from afar as Strahan conducted his GMA interview, focusing on a significant change in Deion’s life regarding his health.
Michael Strahan warned guest Deion Sanders during their GMA interview
Wednesday’s episode of GMA featured Strahan at the desk, with Rebecca Jarvis as Robin’s replacement. Whit Johnson was also there again to fill in for GMA regular George Stephanopoulos.
Their stories included the record-breaking heat across the country, Justin Timberlake’s arrest, and Robin’s reports from GMA’s European Vacation segments in Portugal.
In the later part of the program, Deion appeared as a special guest to talk to Strahan, Jarvis, and Johnson about Men’s Health Month.
After Strahan introduced Deion as Coach Prime, he asked how he was doing.
Sanders revealed he was happy to be there talking to his friends at GMA. He mentioned being a little “limpy” lately, as he’d just done some running to get his health back.
“Been putting pressure on my foot, so I’m a little sore right now, buddy,” Deion shared.
“Well, let’s talk about that foot and the body and all the things that you have been going through because you’ve been dealing with a serious issue,” Strahan began saying.
As he was speaking, he noticed Deion started to hold his bare foot up to the camera, revealing his amputation.
“Oh! Let’s not do that! This is morning TV. People are eating breakfast, Deion; you can’t do that!” Strahan yelled at his friend while his GMA colleagues laughed.
“I’m proud of my amputation. I’m not shy about what transpired. I’m back! I’m fighting back, baby!” Deion yelled back at his friend Strahan.
“We see that, and I’m holding back!” Strahan joked, pretending he was about to throw up on the spot.
What happened to Deion Sanders’ foot?
Once the joking concluded, Strahan brought up that Deion had blood clots in his leg, causing him “some serious pain.”
That resulted in 12 surgeries over the past few years for the former NFL player who starred with the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, and several other teams.
“I’m getting better. My health journey’s been a tremendous challenge and learning experience as well,” Deion said as GMA showed footage of him in the hospital.
During his NFL days, Deion said he had several surgeries that he thought would’ve been enough for him, but there would be more later in his life.
He indicated he first discovered that he had an issue with blood clots due to experiencing a lot of pain, going all the way up in his leg, which led to further tests and then multiple surgeries over several years.
The former NFL star said he learned it was a hereditary issue after speaking with his mother. Rebecca brought up that her father also dealt with blood clots and asked Deion if men often being not as attentive to their health is part of why he’s talking about his situation.
“We don’t like to go to the hospital. We don’t like to get checked out. We’re men. We’re not supposed to cry. We aren’t supposed to hurt or feel pain,” Deion suggested before adding, “I can not stress enough the importance of preventative care.”
During the GMA interview, Deion recalled that at about the same time last year, he had two surgeries on his thighs to remove blood clots. He said he’d set a goal to be able to run out before his team’s first game, and he proudly achieved the goal.
According to USA Today, Deion had two toes on his left foot amputated in 2021 after several foot surgeries. He chose the amputation rather than missing additional games while coaching at Jackson State.
In 2023, ESPN reported Deion had additional surgery to address the blood clots in his left leg. At the time, there was a discussion of amputating his left foot.
According to the reports, Deion’s multiple surgeries helped significantly relieve pain and increase blood flow in his legs.
After leaving his playing days behind, Deion appeared in a similar role to Strahan as a TV analyst with CBS’ NFL coverage for several years.
He eventually became a head coach, including several seasons with Trinity Christian in Texas and Jackson State in Mississippi. He currently coaches the Colorado Buffaloes, where his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, are among his players.
Wow! I understand what you went through . I am a retired surgery nurse! Praying for your health! I am Dallas Cowboy fan!! ❤️🙏❤️