‘Avoid direct eye contact’- Shilo Sanders admits ‘really messed up’ reaction to Deion’s new prosthetic toes
· Yahoo Sports
Shilo Sanders has admitted he spent years trying to “avoid direct eye contact” with his father Deion Sanders’ missing toes before finally seeing his new prosthetic replacements.
Deion recently received custom prosthetic toes after losing two toes on his left foot following a serious health scare in 2021.
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The Colorado Buffaloes head coach’s sons lived through that difficult period with him, making the arrival of the new prosthetics a particularly meaningful moment for the Sanders family.
Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesShilo Sanders opens up about Deion Sanders’ new prosthetic toes
Speaking about his father’s new toes, Shilo admitted he had not exactly been comfortable looking at them over the years.
“Yeah, them toes did a lot. They did a lot for me, but I got to keep it real. They are really messed up.”
Shilo then explained that he had deliberately avoided looking directly at his father’s foot until the new prosthetics arrived.
“I’ve tried to avoid direct eye contact with them for a long time, you know, until today, really,” Shilo said. “But I really do think that these toes did bring him joy. And whenever he looked down for a long time, you could tell that he had a lot of memories with his former toes that were sadly lost, but they all got back whenever he seen the new toes right there.”
The story behind the jokes dates back to 2021, when Sanders was at Jackson State. Doctors discovered three blood clots cutting off circulation in his left leg after two of his toes turned black.
Sanders spent 23 days in hospital and underwent eight surgeries in three weeks before ultimately losing two toes, although doctors saved his leg.
Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty ImagesHis sons were alongside him during the recovery. Sanders eventually returned to the sidelines in a motorised wheelchair, with Shedeur Sanders throwing the game-winning touchdown and Shilo sealing the 21-17 win with an interception.
Years later, Deion finally received custom silicone prosthetics designed to replace the missing toes and provide more support while walking.
After trying them on, Sanders joked about being able to wear his usual size 11.5 shoes again before delivering his verdict.
“I’m 10 toes down again!”
For Shilo, the new prosthetics provided another opportunity to joke about his father’s long-running saga. For Deion, they marked another moment in his recovery from the ordeal that changed his life in 2021.
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