Former Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson publicly disclosed his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.
Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, it destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle actions.
As these nerve cells deteriorate, they fail to send messages to the muscles. As a result, the muscles become weaker, twitch, atrophy and eventually deprive one of the ability to move, speak, swallow and even breathe.
The 39-year-old opened up about his diagnosis in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” that aired Monday, June 29.
Speaking through a speech-generating device based on recordings of his voice, he said: “There is no history of ALS in my family. My doctors believe that my case is what is called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases occur.”
“That’s one of the reasons why this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it,” he added.
The former running back, whose title “CJ2K” was coined because of the 2,006 yards he accumulated in 2009, the seventh-most yardage gained in a season in NFL history, revealed that his problems started when he noticed he had a weak grip.
Speaking about the rapid progression of this disease, he said: “A little over a year ago, I picked up my 7-year-old daughter so she could wish for a birthday cake. Today I couldn’t do it.”
Early symptoms of the disease include limb weakness, motor control problems and unexplained muscle cramps. slurred speech, trouble projecting the voice and less difficulty swallowing. Over time, the patient has serious problems chewing, swallowing and speaking clearly. Excessive drooling is also common.
The disease currently has no known cure.
