Chris Johnson, once celebrated for the speed and power he brought to professional football, has written a letter to his children acknowledging that his years in the sport may have left him vulnerable to ALS — a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no cure. By choosing the intimacy of a family letter as his public vehicle, Johnson placed a human face on a question science and sport have long struggled to answer: what does the game ultimately take from those who give it everything? His disclosure arrives as researchers continue to document troubling connections between professional football care
Former NFL Star Chris Johnson Opens Up About ALS Risk in Letter to Children
Johnson faces potential ALS diagnosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor function and life expectancy.