Former NFL running back Chris Johnson announced he is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in an interview on ABC's Good Morning America.
Johnson, 40, who played for the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets, was diagnosed with the progressive neurological disease in 2025 at the age of 39. ALS affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The disease has progressed rapidly, leaving Johnson unable to speak. He now uses his eyes to operate a voice-generating machine to communicate.
"First, I want people to know that I'm still me," Johnson stated during the interview, sitting alongside his wife. "ALS has changed what my body can do but it hasn't changed who I am."
Johnson, one of the fastest running backs in NFL history, revealed his diagnosis publicly because he hopes sharing his story can help others. "Because if sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research or gives another family hope, then it's worth it," he said.
He described receiving the diagnosis as happening in the "prime of his life" while he was maintaining a daily workout routine and spending time with his wife and four children. Johnson's professional NFL career concluded in 2017 after three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He is widely recognized for his six seasons with the Titans, where he was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year.