FRISCO, Texas – Much mystery has surrounded Deion Sanders’ health, whereabouts, and daily involvement as Colorado’s head coach this summer. Still, one constant remains: whenever Coach Prime appears, the cameras usually follow.

Sanders, 57, made his long-awaited appearance on Wednesday at Big 12 Media Days, ending a months-long absence from the spotlight as he deals with an unspecified health issue. Fittingly, he was the main act, the 14th of 14 head coaches to address reporters at the two-day event, and it didn’t take long for the cameras to spot him when he arrived at The Star, flanked by former Dallas Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin, athletics director Rick George, and his creative media team.

“I’m not here to talk about my health,” Sanders told reporters. “I’m here to talk about my team.”

He added: “I’m looking good, I’m living lovely. God has truly blessed me. Not a care in the world, not a want or desire in the world.”

The Colorado coach revealed in May he was facing an unspecified health issue and said he lost 14 pounds. He had not offered more clarity at the Big 12’s event. However, it was clear that Wednesday marked a reunion with his players. Quarterback Kaidon Salter said it was the first time he had seen Sanders in person since the Buffaloes’ spring game on April 19.

“It’s amazing,” Salter told CBS Sports. “After everything that he’s been going through, seeing him again is truly an honor, but we want him to still take his time and come back stronger than he was before, so he can lead us to victory.”

Sanders, who also did not attend Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter’s wedding in May, stated he would return to Boulder, Colorado, in time for preseason camp, expected to begin later this month.

George stated, “He’s doing great. I’ve seen him before in the summer, so he’s doing great. He’s off and running.”

Sanders has spent most of this summer at his ranch in Canton, Texas, appearing a few times on camera on his son Deion Jr.’s YouTube channel. During his brief appearance at The Star, he completed several media interviews, spending less than 90 minutes at the event before leaving. During this time, he conversed with Colorado players, sharing playful moments and laughs with offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and the quarterbacks contending for the Buffs’ starting job – Salter and freshman prospect Julian Lewis.

Seaton, a potential first-round NFL Draft pick in two years, wore a pair of Sanders’ unreleased Nike sneakers. Sanders jokingly asked Seaton how he acquired them, which elicited laughter from teammates.

“He shows me some love,” Seaton explained. “Sometimes he acts like he doesn’t know, but … I’m part of the family.”

Sanders’ absence in Boulder is noticeable, but Seaton indicated he speaks to Sanders often, mainly through FaceTime. Their last conversation saw Sanders sitting in front of his grandson’s playground, which he calls “Snow’s Playground.”

“He’s an energy giver,” Seaton stated. “If he’s not around, you notice, but we haven’t missed a beat.”

First-year strength coach Andreu Swasey has led offseason workouts in Boulder as Sanders prioritizes his health.

“He’s really been the foundation of our buy-in and believing in his workout plan,” Seaton noted. “We’re not running 20 100s and lifting for no reason. He tells us why we’re going to do and why we need to do it.”

On Wednesday, Sanders spoke like a coach eager to reunite with his team and meet the new players who enrolled in classes this summer. He thanked the Big 12’s coaches for checking in on him and praised commissioner Brett Yormark as the best in the country. He also poked fun at Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire, mentioning the program’s wide-ranging NIL resources: “Can you send a few of those dollars to us so we can get some of those players, too?”

He reiterated a call for a salary cap in college football and criticized players who don’t wear knee pads and those who wear shorts above their knees: “There should be a fine implemented for that stuff. Let’s have some respect for this tremendous game.”

Sanders expressed enthusiasm for the new round of receivers, suggesting they would replace notable team members like Hunter and LaJohntay Wester. Regarding the quarterback competition to fill in for his son and Colorado’s record-holder Shedeur Sanders, Sanders praised Salter: “Kaidon is unbelievable, Kaidon’s off the chain. He’s been there done that. He can get the job done… I love what he brings to the table. I don’t know how it’s going to play out, but we can’t lose either way with either of those two.”

Salter and Lewis, friends since a prior Elite 11 camp, are eager for preseason camp to begin, where they will finally compete in front of Sanders.

“He’s been taking his time, and doing everything he has to do before he can come back and coach us to his full ability,” Salter said.