Three-time NFL Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson revealed some horrific news in a TV segment that aired Monday morning.
The 40-year-old explained that what began as weakness in his right hand turned out to be a life-threatening illness.
‘I still think the same. I still dream. I still love my family.’
Johnson and his wife, Brittany, figured he had some sort of lingering ailments from his NFL career that were popping up, so the former Tennessee Titans star went in for tests.
“I first noticed weakness in my right hand,” Johnson said. “At first, it was little things like my grip didn’t feel right, and I wasn’t as strong as I’ve always been.”
Johnson told “Good Morning America” that after thorough testing, “They finally came down with a diagnosis of ALS,” or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The Orlando, Florida, native said he was told about a medication that might extend life by a few months, but that it was time to prepare for the worst.
“Then they told us to get our affairs in order. It was hard hearing that,” Johnson told host Michael Strahan, who is an NFL Hall of Fame player.
In fact, Johnson’s words to Strahan came through a voice program that he controls with his eyes. Johnson recorded his voice shortly after his diagnosis, and therefore the text-to-speech audio sounds like him.
However, losing his voice is just one of the physical results of his illness.
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– YouTube
“I can’t even hold a cup if I try, and that’s despite being diagnosed relatively early and doing everything we can, including participating in multiple experimental treatments,” Johnson said.
The former East Carolina athlete urged early detection, more research, and enhanced treatments to give people a better chance than what he has available to him.
As for his wife, she told the ABC program that she thought what Johnson was going through was the result of years of clashes on the football field. Johnson retired in 2017.
“I thought because of football and, you know, his career, that it had to be something with that,” she told Strahan. “Maybe a pinched nerve or something along those lines, but never ALS.”
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Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Strahan asked several questions pertaining to how much their life has changed, and Johnson explained that he wants to continue his fight simply to “make more memories” with his kids and “just be their dad.”
“At first, you’re in shock. Then you realize you have two choices: You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight,” the father stated.
Despite losing his voice, Johnson said he wanted viewers to know that the illness hasn’t changed how his mind works.
“People sometimes look at the physical disability and assume you’re not still the same person inside. I still think the same. I still dream. I still love my family. My body just doesn’t cooperate.”
Johnson had a total of 9,651 rushing yards and 55 rushing touchdowns in 10 years in the NFL. He still holds one of the fastest 40-yard dash times in NFL Combine history.
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