Colorado assistant athletic trainer Lauren Askevold explains Deion Sanders' next surgery

Coach Prime will miss Pac-12 Media Day

Deion Sanders has gone on one heck of a health journey. 

The Hall of Famer announced Wednesday that he would undergo another surgery to remove blood clots in his right leg. He's also getting two toes readjusted on his left foot. The news comes as another setback with Coach Prime not being able to attend Pac-12 Media Day.

Sanders recently dealt with blood clots, along with other factors, from having two toes amputated on his left foot. A "ride-or-die" who has been by Prime's side throughout his latest battles is Lauren Askevold. 

The Buffs assistant athletic trainer gives a brief synopsis of what CU's coach will face while he goes under the knife tomorrow. 

Askevold came with Sanders from Jackson State and was entrusted to handle day-to-day duties for his health needs. It's been a process for Askevold, but one she wouldn't trade for the world.

"Life is about relationships, and I'm going to carry that with me," Askevold recently told "Life and Football."I was already kind of hip to that going into it, but I'm gonna carry that with me for life." 

Askevold sat beside Sanders while a team of doctors recently gave him a serious consultation about his lower extremities. She was also with Deion's longtime love Tracey Edmonds when he was hospitalized. In short, Askevold is the one in the room who Prime depends on and works in his best interests. 

Not many coaches can say they have a relationship with a trainer like Deion does with Lauren. But not every situation is like the one at Colorado.

Sanders is settling in for his first season with the Buffaloes. The off-season has been a rollercoaster ride thus far, and many are expecting a big finish right around the corner. A proven coaching staff to go along with a mixed roster of players who've never been seen together on film before. None of the critics will have an accurate prediction on how CU will be in the early going.

For Askevold, coming to Colorado was part of the process of building on to her impressive resume. She moved from Wisconsin to Florida in 2013 and started with Division I feeder IMG academy. It was there that she learned the ropes of sports medicine with the major high school program. A short five years of work pushed her toward being involved with the XFL before jumping to Jackson State in 2021.  

Askevold was quickly thrown into the fire, with Sanders facing serious health issues at JSU. However, she has been a stalwart with daily treatments on Prime's legs. Just one of the many committed to the vision established for the Buffaloes this year and beyond.