Colorado football coach Deion Sanders has proven to be a longtime master of marketing and endorsements, including his famous advertising deals with Nike, Aflac and California Almonds.
But his new partnership is especially personal for him — and quite a bit different than the rest. After being diagnosed with bladder cancer and having his bladder removed in May, he’s partnered with Depend, the underwear brand for incontinence.
The parent company for the Depend brand, Kimberly-Clark, confirmed the partnership to USA TODAY Sports on July 28.
“Depend is proud to help millions of people live more confidently every day with comfort and protection they can trust – this includes Coach,” the company said in a statement. “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.”
Sanders, 57, mentioned Depend at a news conference in Colorado on Monday July 28.
“I depend on Depend, if you know what I mean,” he said. “I truly depend on Depend. I cannot control my bladder.”
The brand is often joked about as a sign of old age and embarrassing health issues involving problems going to the bathroom. Sanders appears to want to take the shame out of the issue by speaking about it publicly and promoting it.
‘I’m about to sexy ’em up,’ Sanders told former NFL receiver Michael Irvin in an interview posted July 28.
One doctor compared this to the way former First Lady Betty Ford helped raise awareness of breast cancer after she was diagnosed with it in 1974. It helped increase discussion of this form of cancer, bringing it out in the open and leading to more screenings.
“He seems like the ideal person to take something like this on,” said Adam Kibel, the urology department chair at Mass General Brigham in Massachusetts. “He’s got a lot of humor. He’s got… cred. People look at him and say, ‘That guy’s a winner.’”
There’s no word yet if Sanders also will strike a deal with a portable toilet company. But he did mention the issue Monday as part of his recovery process.
“I’m making a joke out of it, but it’s real, so if you see a Porta Potty on the sideline, it’s real, OK?” Sanders said.
Colorado begins preseason practice this week and opens the season Friday, Aug. 29 at home against Georgia Tech.
“I am thankful we have a relationship with Depend, and we’re making some other products, trying to make other products to help all of us through,” Sanders said at the news conference. “It’s been tremendous.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com