Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2025, wrote a letter to his three children that was published Sept. 10 on The Players' Tribune website.
In it, Johnson writes to them about his football career and one of the first symptoms of ALS he felt, when he picked up a water bottle in the family's car during a road trip for spring break in 2025.
He said the bottle "was feeling kind of heavy."
"That wasn’t the first time something had seemed off with my right hand," he wrote. "Before we left, it had been feeling … not weak exactly, but strained, is how I’d describe it, like I’d lifted (my daughter) up onto my shoulders one too many times. But it had been a couple weeks, so I was surprised
it was still acting up on the trip.
"I definitely wanted to figure out what was going on, but I also didn’t think it was anything serious. (My wife) Britt was getting pretty scared, though, so we decided that I should probably meet with a neurologist."
What is ALS?
ALS is an often fatal neurological disease that weakens muscles used for moving, swallowing and breathing. It also can cause thinking and behavioral changes and its effects get worse over time.
Is there a cure for ALS?
No. There is not cure for ALS.
What Chris Johnson said about football's role in ALS
"I read one study, and from my understanding, it found that former NFL players were nearly four times as likely to develop and pass away from ALS compared with the U.S. male population overall," wrote in the article. "That was a shock. And to be clear, (I'm) not an expert, and that’s just one study, and there might be other environmental factors at play. Anybody can get ALS. But obviously, I can’t help but wonder if there’s any connection between my career and where I am now."
When did Chris Johnson play for the Titans?
Johnson played for the Titans for his first six seasons (2008-2013) and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection. He led the NFL in rushing in 2009 with 2,006 yards for a league-best average of 125.4 yards per game.
Johnson, who former Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck called "Superman," ran for 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns during his 10-year NFL career.
When will Chris Johnson be inducted into the Titans Ring of Honor?
Johnson will be inducted into the Ring of Honor during halftime of the Titans' season-opener Sept. 13 at Nissan Stadium against the New York Jets.
Chris Johnson brought back the ALS Bucket Challenge
#cj2kicebucketchallange CJ and Kaden ur up @LeBronJames let’s goooo!!!! #ALS #alsawareness #juicestrong pic.twitter.com/32pwmJ8BbQ
— Chris Johnson (@ChrisJohnson28) July 2, 2026
Johnson brought the challenge back into the national spotlight after he went public with his diagnoses.
He shared a video on X requesting that fans and athletes help revive the challene, which raised millions of dollars for ALS research when it went viral in 2014.
Johnson's daughter participated in the challenge and nominated her brothers, and NBA player LeBron James.
Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Former Titans RB Chris Johnson shares football memories, ALS fears in Players' Tribune
