Ex-nfl Star Chris Johnson Reveals Als Diagnosis: 'you Can Give Up, Or You Can Fight. I Chose To Fight'

Chris Johnson, nan erstwhile NFL moving backmost who holds nan grounds for astir yards from scrimmage successful a azygous season, has nan degenerative neurological upset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known arsenic ALS aliases Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Johnson shared nan test during an interview pinch Michael Strahan that aired Monday connected ABC’s “Good Morning America.” The 40-year-old begetter of 4 said successful his ain sound but didn’t usage his rima — instead, he utilized his eyes to trigger a instrumentality that generated sentences based connected recordings Johnson made soon aft he was diagnosed past year.

“It’s continued to advancement overmuch faster than I ever imagined,” Johnson said of nan disease. “I want group to understand conscionable really quickly ALS tin onslaught your body. Just complete a twelvemonth ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old girl truthful she’d make a wish pinch her day cake. Today, I couldn’t do that.”

There is presently nary known curen that stops aliases reverses ALS, according to nan National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and astir group pinch illness dice of respiratory nonaccomplishment wrong 3 to 5 years of noticing symptoms (although 1 successful 10 past a decade aliases more).

In summation to receiving nan modular medicine to thief slow nan disease’s progression, Johnson has been moving pinch neurologist and starring ALS interrogator Dr. Merit Cudkowicz. She told “Good Morning America” that Johnson has taken portion successful a objective proceedings for a therapy “that decreases inflammation, and I deliberation that helped him a lot.”

“At first, you’re successful shock, past you recognize you person 2 choices: You tin springiness up, aliases you tin fight,” Johnson said. “I chose to fight.”

Johnson’s woman Brittany told Strahan: “We’re still hopeful. We’re hopeful that a breakthrough will hap aliases … a occurrence will happen.”

Selected by nan Tennessee Titans astatine No. 24 successful nan 2008 draft, Johnson was an instant NFL star. He made nan Pro Bowl successful each of his first 3 seasons and was named nan league’s violative subordinate of nan twelvemonth successful 2009. Also that season, Johnson led nan NFL pinch 2,006 rushing yards — earning nan nickname CJ2K arsenic 1 of only 9 players to person rushed for 2,000 aliases much yards successful a play — and group a grounds pinch 2,509 yards from scrimmage that still stands.

Johnson rushed for much than 1,000 yards successful each of his six seasons pinch nan Titans, past spent a twelvemonth pinch nan New York Jets and 3 much pinch nan Arizona Cardinals earlier retiring aft nan 2017 season. He vanished pinch 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns rushing and 2,255 yards and 9 touchdowns receiving.

Titans proprietor Amy Adams Strunk released a connection Monday greeting aft Johnson’s test was revealed.

“Learning this news is highly difficult, and we will support Chris each measurement of nan measurement passim his journey,” she wrote. “We are holding him and his family close, and subordinate our fans astir nan world successful expressing our emotion for Chris.”

The Jets and Cardinals besides released statements expressing their support for Johnson.

While Johnson’s assemblage will nary longer let him to execute a task for illustration gripping a cup, he said he wants group to cognize that pinch ALS, “your mind stays sharp.”

“People sometimes look astatine nan beingness disablement and presume you’re not still nan aforesaid personification inside,” Johnson said. “I still deliberation nan same. I still dream. I still emotion my family. My assemblage conscionable doesn’t cooperate.”