Former NFL star Chris Johnson wrote an open letter to his four children about his experience with ALS, a neurodegenerative condition that affects nerve cell communication with muscles throughout the body. Johnson, who was diagnosed with ALS last June and has since required a speech-generating device to communicate, reflected on whether his football career may have contributed to his illness. According to studies, former NFL players are nearly four times as likely to develop and die from ALS compared to other men. In the letter, Johnson encouraged his children to pursue their own passions and goals, while also expressing regret for not sharing his diagnosis sooner to raise more awareness about the disease.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Chris Johnson, a former NFL star, has written a public letter to his four children about the risk of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). He recently learned that former NFL players are nearly four times as likely to develop and die from ALS than other men, which makes him wonder if there's a connection between his football career and his current health issues. Johnson has been experiencing health problems, starting with weakness in his right hand last year and now needing a computerized speech-generating device to speak. Despite this, he remains grateful for his time playing in the NFL, which gave him a platform to help others, including raising awareness about ALS through the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Johnson is being inducted into the Tennessee Titans' Ring of Honor, and coaching his sons in football has brought him joy and sense of fulfillment.
Written for “NFL Player's Health Warning” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 8148: attributed speech only · logged 2026-09-11
Chris Johnson has been to every major ALS clinic in the country and seen neurologists respond once they learned he played football.
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he → see → football
The sixth man to run for 2,000 yards in an NFL season read the study that found former NFL players were nearly four times as likely to develop and die from ALS than other men.
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players → run → men
“Obviously, I can’t help but wonder if there’s any connection between my career and where I am now,” Johnson wrote in a letter to his four children published Thursday by The Players Tribune.
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Johnson → help → Tribune
Still, Johnson wrote he remains glad for his chance to play in the NFL even as he went from noticing weakness in his right hand last year to needing a computerized speech-generating device to speak this year.
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he → write → device
“I wouldn’t trade that journey for anything.
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I → trade → anything
Football gave your dad a platform.
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Football → give → platform
And now, I’m in a position to use it in a way I never expected,” wrote Johnson, who is being inducted into the Tennessee Titans’ Ring of Honor at halftime of Sunday’s season opener against the New York Jets.
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who → ’m → Jets
Being able to coach his sons in football brought Johnson joy, and he called it one of his greatest gifts, watching them fall in love with the game that gave him so much while growing up in Orlando, Florida.
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that → coach → Orlando
“I guess what I want to say to y’all is that….
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want → guess → y’
Be fearless, be you, and don’t let anyone stand in the way of your dreams,” Johnson wrote.
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Johnson → let → dreams
“The game is a lot safer now than when I was playing.
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I → play → ?
And hopefully it just keeps on getting safer.
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it → keep → ?
Johnson announced June 29 on ABC’s “ Good Morning America ” that he had been diagnosed with ALS, the fatal nervous system disease a year earlier.
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he → announce → ALS
In his letter, Johnson said he struggled with whether or not to share his diagnosis, feeling shame that his body was failing him.
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body → say → him
Telling his four children about his diagnosis nearly broke him as he tried to be honest yet offer hope.
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he → tell → hope
ALS, which is an acronym for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative condition that affects nerve cell communication with muscles throughout the body.
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that → know → body
The disease leads to muscle weakness and can cause deterioration of the ability to move, speak and breathe.
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disease → lead → ability
Now seeing friends and old teammates respond to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has made Johnson regret not telling everyone sooner with the money and attention brought to the disease.
“But I don’t know if it would have had the same impact,” Johnson wrote.
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Johnson → see → impact
“People wouldn’t have fully seen what this disease can do, and how quickly it can do it.”
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it → see → it
Johnson, a first-round draft pick out of East Carolina in 2008, rushed for 7,965 yards over six seasons with the Titans.
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Johnson → rush → Titans
He had 2,006 yards in 2009 to earn the nickname “CJ2K.”
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He → have → nickname
