ALS has taken almost everything from Chris Johnson. But his kids, he writes, give him the strength to keep fighting.
Johnson, a Tennessee Titans franchise icon, 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 motor neuron disease to where he has ended up 18 months later.
The former Titans running back detailed how his first alarming symptoms presented: a water bottle feeling heavy on a road trip in March 2025. From there, Johnson said he met with multiple doctors before getting a possible diagnosis of ALS, and he recounted the fear he and his wife felt about the uncertain road ahead.
honor after ALS diagnosis
By the time he joined fellow former NFLer Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" to publicly announce his ALS battle in June of this year, Johnson had lost the ability to speak.
"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."
Johnson went on to encourage his children to shape their own "football journey" and left a message for each of his four kids. He emphasized the importance of sticking together as a family and expressed hope that he'd live long enough to see his kids reach big life milestones: graduation, marriage, starting families of their own.
The former NFL running back and 40-yard dash record-holder concluded by telling his children how thankful he was that they still have been able to act normal despite the adversity Johnson faces.
"It's crazy," Johnson wrote, "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."
Chris Johnson ALS diagnosis
Johnson was initially diagnosed with ALS in 2025. On June 29, 2026, Johnson revealed he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America." The disease had progressed rapidly enough that he needed a computer program – one with an AI-generated version of his voice – controlled with his eyes to speak to interviewer Michael Strahan.
"I want people to know I am still me," Johnson said in his interview. "ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn't changed who I am.
"If sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research, or gives another family hope, it is worth it."
Shortly after Johnson announced his diagnosis, he made a public bid to bring back the viral "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" to raise money for the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital. As of Sept. 10, Johnson's campaign has raised over $238,000.
Chris Johnson stats
With Titans:
- Games: 95 (93 starts)
- Rushes: 1,742
- Rushing yards: 7,965
- Yards per carry: 4.6
- Rushing touchdowns: 50
- Receptions: 272
- Receiving yards: 2,003
- Receiving touchdowns: 8
- Total scrimmage yards: 9,968
- Total yards per touch: 4.9
Career stats:
- Games: 130 (111 starts)
- Rushes: 2,163
- Rushing yards: 9,651
- Yards per carry: 4.5
- Rushing touchdowns: 55
- Receptions: 307
- Receiving yards: 2,255
- Receiving touchdowns: 9
- Total scrimmage yards: 11,906
- Total yards per touch: 4.8
What is ALS?
ALS is short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is also known as motor neuron disease or Lou Gehrig's disease.
According to the United States National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke the degenerative disease "affects motor neurons ... the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and breathing." ALS causes weakness in the muscles that gradually progresses and worsens. ALS eventually progresses to affect muscles needed for speaking, eating and breathing, making it a terminal disease.
There is currently no known cure for ALS, but researchers have developed treatments that can slow the speed at which the disease progresses. According to the NIH, most people with ALS die "within 3-to-5 years of symptoms first appearing." One in 10 people suffering from ALS survive 10-plus years.
According to a study published in eClinicalMedicine on July 8, former NFL players face a "pronounced risk of neurodegenerative mortality." More specifically, the study concluded that "neurodegenerative mortality was nearly four times higher in NFL players compared to the general population."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Johnson writes letter to his kids after ALS diagnosis. What it says
