Former Tennessee Titans star Chris Johnson penned a heartbreaking letter to his children as his ALS continues to get progressively worse.
Johnson, 40, wrote the letter in The Players’ Tribune and addressed it to his four kids: Lee, CJ, Kaden and Honey just months after his diagnosis became public.
In the letter, Johnson reveals the moments leading up to his diagnosis as well as his realization that his career may have led to the disease.
Johnson discovered that former NFL players are four times as likely to develop and die from the disease – Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – than the average male.
‘Obviously, I can’t help but wonder if there’s any connection between my career and where I am now,’ Johnson’s letter read in part.
Despite knowing what he knows now, Johnson remains glad for his chance to play professionally – even though he began noticing weakness in his right hand last year.
Former Titans running back Chris Johnson penned an emotional letter to his children
Johnson went public at the end of June with a devastating diagnosis of ALS
The letter was written to Lee (not pictured), twins CJ and Kaden, and daughter Honey
‘I’ve seen a lot of neurologists at this point and been to basically every major ALS clinic in the country, and in my experience, as soon as you say you played football it’s like, “Ahh, OK.” Almost like an understanding, you know?’ Johnson wrote.
His diagnosis was confirmed last spring. These days, Johnson uses a wheelchair to move and a computerized speech-generating device to speak.
‘I wouldn’t trade that journey for anything. Football gave your dad a platform. And now, I’m in a position to use it in a way I never expected,’ wrote Johnson, who will be inducted into the Titans’ Ring of Honor this Sunday in the team’s season opener against the New York Jets.
‘The thing about an NFL career, though, is that things can get complicated,’ Johnson also wrote. ‘It’s like I always tell y’all kids, nothing comes easy. And there’s a lot of different ways this game can break your heart.’
He continued: ‘Still, I look back at it all with nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to have played this game at the highest level for 10 years. And I was ME all the way. Your dad was always just CJ. Straight up. Gold teeth and all. From draft night to the very last snap.’
Elsewhere, Johnson admits he was initially in denial about his diagnosis up until he lost the ability to speak.
‘You kinda put a wall up to the changes,’ he admitted. ‘You don’t see them until it’s in your face.’
Johnson, one of six people to ever rush for 2,000 yards in a season, wrote that coaching his sons in football and watching them fall in love with the sport was one of his ‘greatest gifts’ in life.
Johnson said watching his kids fall in love with football was one of the ‘greatest gifts’ of his life
Johnson was one of six players in NFL history to run for over 2,000 yards in a single season
‘I guess what I want to say to y’all is that…. Your football journey is yours. Be fearless, be you, and don’t let anyone stand in the way of your dreams,’ Johnson wrote.
‘The game is a lot safer now than when I was playing. And hopefully it just keeps on getting safer.’
He closed the letter with messages to each of his children before adding, ‘It’s crazy, in those small moments, I can forget everything else that’s going on, because I swear it’s like you don’t even see ALS. You just see me. Love y’all, Dad.’
Johnson publicly revealed the diagnosis on an episode of Good Morning America on June 29.
A 2008 first-round pick, Johnson logged 9,651 career rushing yards and 55 touchdowns. In his second season, he tallied 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns to win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.
