Ryan Fitzpatrick, former quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, has spoken out about his bond with ex-teammate Chris Johnson following the running back's announcement that he has been diagnosed with ALS. Johnson, one of only nine players in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, revealed his diagnosis earlier this week, sending ripples through the football community.

Fitzpatrick, who played one season with Johnson on the Titans, shared a personal anecdote about their connection. He recalled a football signed by Johnson after Fitzpatrick threw his 100th career touchdown pass, which Johnson caught. The inscription on the ball read, "To my cool white boy. Congrats on number 100."

"So the amount of street credit I have from Chris Johnson calling me a cool white boy has always been awesome to me," Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital. He expressed his empathy for Johnson and his family, acknowledging the difficulty of dealing with ALS. "ALS is just such a tough thing to have to deal with, obviously for Chris and for everybody around him. You can just imagine the frustrations of his mind being there but his body starting to fail him and how difficult that is. We're obviously all hoping for the best for him, and all our love and support goes to him and his wife and his family."

Johnson himself has noted the growing research linking repetitive head trauma to ALS, stating that NFL players are reportedly four times as likely to develop the disease compared to the general population. Fitzpatrick acknowledged the inherent risks of professional football but maintained that he would still choose to play the sport if given the chance.

"I do think guys playing football understand at least the broad scope of what the risks are. I think a lot of guys would tell you, and I would be the same way, football has given me so much in my life that it's something I would do again in a heartbeat," Fitzpatrick said. "And for my kids that want to pursue it, I'm happy for them to pursue it."

However, Fitzpatrick also spoke about the increased awareness of such health issues as one ages. "But as you get older, I'm 43, as you get older, and your parents get older, I lost my mom five years ago, there's just more stuff that seems to happen," he stated. "It's really sad. One of my best friends from high school was diagnosed with ALS. So seeing that firsthand, and the difficulties that come with it, not just for him but everybody that is around him, it's really hard. As you get older, stuff happens, and there are things that you have to deal with and figure out. So unfortunately, it's a tough part about aging."

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to a loss of control over muscles. The ALS Association states that the disease impairs the ability to walk, talk, eat, dress, write, swallow, and eventually breathe. There is currently no known cure for ALS.