Key Takeaways
- Karrueche Tran affectionately calls Deion Sanders’ surgically altered left foot “Little Foot,” saying their jokes reflect the fun and trust in their relationship.
- Sanders lost two toes in 2021 after severe circulation problems, and Tran praised him for never letting the amputation, chronic pain, or neuropathy hold him back.
- Tran also supported Sanders through bladder cancer surgery in 2025, while he credited her with keeping him positive during his recovery.
Karrueche Tran has a nickname for Deion Sanders' surgically altered foot, and apparently, Coach Prime doesn’t mind being the punchline.
During an episode of The Pop Exchange, which she co-hosts with Jason Kennedy, Tran revealed that she affectionately calls Sanders' left foot "Little Foot" after the Colorado football coach underwent surgery to amputate two toes because of serious circulation problems.
"I make fun of his little foot. I call it Little Foot," Tran said. "I make fun of his little foot all the time."
The actress explained that Sanders' remaining three toes have gradually curved because they've had to compensate for the missing digits. His two prosthetic toes, meanwhile, are straighter, creating an adjustment period as he gets accustomed to walking with them.
"Because of the way he's had to walk, his three toes that are still there are kind of, like, curved because they have to extra grip the ground," she explained.
But Tran wasn't sharing the details to make light of Sanders' medical history. She said their ability to joke about something so serious reflects the relationship they've developed.
"I just love that, one, I love that that's a part of our relationship, is that we get to laugh and have fun," she said. "That's the best part. We are joking all the time. But I love that he never allowed this situation to hinder anything in his life."
Sanders' foot problems began years before his relationship with Tran became public. In October 2021, the Pro Football Hall of Famer underwent amputations of two toes on his left foot following complications involving blood clots and impaired circulation. His medical history has since included multiple vascular procedures, persistent foot pain, and neuropathy.
At one point, doctors even discussed the possibility of amputating his entire foot.
Those challenges were followed by another major health crisis in 2025, when Sanders was diagnosed with high-grade bladder cancer. He underwent surgery to remove his bladder, with doctors constructing a replacement using part of his small intestine. His medical team subsequently announced that he was cancer-free.
Tran was there through that ordeal, too.
In earlier footage documenting Sanders' treatment, Tran became emotional while discussing his condition and the prospect of surgery. She later acknowledged that the experience tested their relationship, particularly as they navigated the uncertainty surrounding his health.
"If I [had] dipped, I would've taken the easy way out," Tran previously said. "It was hard, it was difficult mentally. But we made it work."
Sanders has been equally open about what her presence meant during his recovery.
"She was there. She held me down. She kept me upright. She kept me straight. Kept me positive," Sanders said during a February interview. "I'm already positive. But she did the doggone thing."
Their relationship has since included more public glimpses of life away from the football field, including a trip to St. Croix, where the couple discussed finding a family home on the island.
