The Tennessee Titans have postponed running back Chris Johnson's induction into their Ring of Honor "due to unforeseen circumstances."
The team made the announcement in a statement shared Friday, Sept. 11, just two days before Johnson, who announced in June that he has ALS, was scheduled to be inducted during the team's season opener against the New York Jets."Chris Johnson and his family are no longer able to travel to Nashville for this Sunday's game," the Titans' statement said. "Knowing how much he and his family desire to be in person at Nissan Stadium for his induction into the Titans Ring of Honor, we will postpone the official induction ceremony and look forward to celebrating the moment with them at a future date.
"Sunday's halftime ceremony
will remain dedicated to celebrating Chris' incredible on-field achievements and legacy with our team. Our thoughts, along with those of Titans fans everywhere, continue to be with Chris and his wife, Brittany."
Chris Johnson ALS diagnosis
Johnson announced his ALS diagnosis in a Monday, June 29, interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Johnson revealed his battle with the motor neuron disease, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in a sit-down interview with former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan. Johnson said he was diagnosed last year, when he was 39 years old.Johnson, 40, played 10 NFL seasons with the Titans, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals. The East Carolina product was best-known for his time in Tennessee and in 2009 became just the sixth running back in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season."Honestly, I don't know if you ever fully process it," Johnson said about his ALS diagnosis. "At first, you're in shock. Then you realize you have two choices. You can give up, or you can fight. I chose to fight."
Chris Johnson letter to his children
Johnson wrote an open letter to his children via the Players' Tribune published on Thursday, Sept. 10. In the letter, Johnson described his journey from initial symptoms of the disease to where he has ended up 18 months later.
"Almost every part of my life has changed at this point," Johnson wrote. "You guys see it every day. But there are plenty of things that are still the same, and staying focused on those things is what keeps me grounded. What hasn’t changed is who I am.
"ALS has forced me to realize that who I am is so much bigger than what my body can do. My value is in the man that I am, the person I wake up and choose to be every day."
Contributing: Jacob Camenker, Jack McKessy
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Titans postpone Chris Johnson induction one day after he shared ALS struggles
