The Tennessee Titans announced Friday that the ceremony to induct running back Chris Johnson into their Ring of Honor has been postponed. The event was scheduled to take place at halftime during the team's season opener on Sunday against the New York Jets.
This postponement comes just over two months after Johnson revealed his diagnosis with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. According to the team's statement, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Chris Johnson and his family are no longer able to travel to Nashville for this Sunday's game." The Titans expressed understanding, adding, "Knowing how much he and his family desire to be in person at Nissan Stadium for his induction into the Titans Ring of Honor, we will postpone the official induction ceremony and look forward to celebrating the moment with them at a future date."
While the official induction ceremony is on hold, the Titans still plan to honor Johnson at halftime of Sunday's game. Johnson, 40, played 10 seasons in the NFL, totaling over 11,000 rushing yards. He is best known for his six seasons with the Titans, where he earned three Pro Bowl selections and won Offensive Player of the Year in 2009 before a stint with the New York Jets.
Johnson revealed his ALS diagnosis in June on "Good Morning America," stating that he had been living with the disease for over a year. He described the initial symptom as weakness in his right hand and a loss of grip strength. Johnson, who was diagnosed at age 39, has lost the ability to speak and communicates using an eye-controlled voice machine. He shared his decision to go public with his story to potentially help others receive earlier diagnoses, inspire research, or offer hope to other families.
Johnson's wife, Brittany, recounted their initial hope that his symptoms were a football-related injury. However, after thorough testing, the ALS diagnosis was confirmed. Johnson mentioned that doctors offered medication to extend life by a few months and advised him to "get our affairs in order." He also noted that after seeing a program on "Good Morning America" featuring Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, they reached out to her for more creative and experimental treatment options.
Johnson has no family history of the disease, and doctors believe his case to be sporadic ALS, the most common form, which occurs randomly. "It can happen to someone who never expected it," Johnson said. He stated that upon diagnosis, he had two choices: "give up or fight," and he chose to fight. Doctors have recorded his voice to ensure his synthesized speech retains his natural tone.