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The NFL world was stunned Monday when it became public that Chris Johnson, one of nine players to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, suffers from ALS.
The news hit close to home for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who played for Johnson’s Tennessee Titans for one season. And despite being only a year old, the two have a special connection.
“He was a great teammate when I played with him for a year, and obviously a super talented guy on the football field. We texted about a year ago. I was looking back on our texts, and one of the things I sent him – the 100th touchdown pass I threw in the NFL was to CJ2K, and he signed the ball and gave it to me. He says, ‘To my cool white boy. Congratulations on number 100.'” Fitzpatrick recalled in an interview with Pak Gazette Digital. “So the amount of street credit I have because Chris Johnson called me a cool white boy has always been amazing to me.”
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Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, No. 4 of the Tennessee Titans, shakes hands with running back Chris Johnson, No. 28, against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on October 13, 2013 in Seattle, Washington. (Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
But ALS is a very difficult thing to deal with, obviously for Chris and everyone around him. You can imagine the frustrations of his mind there, but his body starts to fail him and how difficult that is. “Obviously we all hope the best for him and all our love and support goes to him, his wife and his family.”
In a lengthy social media post, Johnson said there is growing research showing a link between repetitive head trauma and ALS, and studies have shown that NFL players are four times more likely to develop ALS than the general population.
Fitzpatrick, personally, said that when it comes to football, he would do it all over again, even though the risks are more prevalent now than ever. However, what comes with age is a bleaker reality.
Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson runs against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 28, 2010. (Sam Sharpe/USA TODAY Sports)
FORMER NFL STAR CHRIS JOHNSON SAYS HE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ALS
“I think guys who play football understand at least the broad scope of the risks. 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. And for my kids who want to move on, I’m happy for them to do it,” Fitzpatrick said.
“But as you get older, I’m 43, as you get older and your parents get older, I lost my mom five years ago, more things just seem to happen. It’s really sad. One of my best friends from high school was diagnosed with ALS. So to see that firsthand and the difficulties that come with it, not just for him but for everyone around him, it’s really difficult. As you get older, things happen, and there are things you have to deal with and figure out. Unfortunately, “Aging is a difficult part.”
There is no known cure for ALS, known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is a progressive disease in which the brain loses connection to the muscles, according to the ALS Association. Those affected slowly lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, dress, write, swallow and, eventually, breathe.
Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson breaks free for a long run against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California on November 8, 2009. The Titans defeated the 49ers 34-27. (Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports)
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The former running back played in the NFL from 2008 to 2017 with the Titans, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.
