Deion Sanders partners with Depend after bladder cancer announcement

When Deion Sanders announced his journey with bladder cancer Tuesday, he said he can’t control his bladder. As a result, he told reporters he “depends on Depend.”

The two sides have now forged a partnership. Depend confirmed to USA Today the company is joining forces with Sanders following his health announcement.

Sanders confirmed he had his bladder removed in May following the diagnosis, which kept him away from the Colorado program this offseason as he recovered. Now back with the Buffs for training camp, Coach Prime is hoping to raise awareness about bladder cancer – and take away the stigma about health issues related to going to the bathroom.

“Depend is proud to help millions of people live more confidently every day with comfort and protection they can trust – this includes Coach,” Depend’s parent company, Kimberly-Clark, said in a statement to USA Today. “Wearing Depend isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a badge of resilience. It takes real courage to face health challenges head-on.

“We champion and celebrate Coach’s strength to share his experience with the world which makes us proud to partner with, and support, him on this journey. Together, we know his voice will empower others to stand tall and help break the stigma that can come with wearing products like Depend.”

Depend shouted out Sanders after his press conference to open practice at Colorado. He met with reporters alongside members of his medical team and confirmed his diagnosis. Doctors also said he is “cured” after his bladder was removed. Sanders said he lost 25 pounds during the journey, but has put 12 of them back on as he settles back in at Colorado.

As he walked through his journey, Sanders made it clear his goal was to take away the stigma around bladder issues and also encouraged people to get screenings. Doctors discovered the issue during a routine urology test.

“This wasn’t easy. Man, everybody: Get checked out,” Sanders said. “Because if it wasn’t for me being tested for something else they wouldn’t have stumbled up on this. And make sure you go to get the right care, because without wonderful people like this I probably wouldn’t be sitting here today because it was so expeditiously (handled) I can say.”

Despite missing time during the offseason, Deion Sanders made it clear he is “back” and not leaning on his staff for any extra help. That means he’ll be fulfilling his duties as Colorado’s head coach ahead of the 2025 season, which gets underway Aug. 29 against Delaware.