{"id":6362,"date":"2026-07-05T13:06:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T13:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=6362"},"modified":"2026-07-05T13:06:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T13:06:52","slug":"former-nfl-rb-chris-johnson-known-as-cj2k-for-his-2000-yards-for-titans-in-09-reveals-he-has-als","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=6362","title":{"rendered":"Former NFL RB Chris Johnson, known as CJ2K for his 2,000 yards for Titans in ’09, reveals he has ALS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
FILE – Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson visits the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sept. 15, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo\/George Walker IV, file)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Chris Johnson, one of nine players in NFL<\/a> history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season who made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years with the Tennessee Titans, revealed in a television interview aired Monday that he has ALS.<\/p>

Read more Chris Johnson seeking revival of Ice Bucket Challenge as he continues his fight against ALS<\/a><\/p>\n

Johnson, 40, spent 10 seasons in the league and last played in 2017 for the Arizona Cardinals. He said on ABC\u2019s \u201c Good Morning America<\/a> \u201d that he was diagnosed with the fatal nervous system disease last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t know if you really fully process it,\u201d he said, using his eyes to communicate through a computerized speech-generating device during the interview with Michael Strahan. \u201cAt first you\u2019re in shock. Then you realize you have two choices: You can give up or you can fight. I chose to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson, a first-round draft pick out of East Carolina in 2008, rushed for 7,965 yards over six seasons with the Titans. The native of Orlando, Florida, had 2,006 yards in 2009 to earn the nickname \u201cCJ2K\u201d and ingratiate himself with the Tennessee fan base.<\/p>\n

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk, in a statement<\/a> released Monday, said the organization is holding Johnson, his wife and four children close.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people leave a mark on an organization that you just can\u2019t put into words. Chris Johnson is one of those people for us. His leadership on the field, in addition to his impact in the locker room and Nashville community have written him permanently into the story of this franchise,\u201d Adams Strunk said. \u201cLearning this news is extremely difficult, and we will support Chris every step of the way throughout his journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

ALS, which is an acronym for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is commonly known as Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease, is a neurodegenerative condition that affects nerve cell communication with muscles throughout the body. The disease leads to muscle weakness and can cause deterioration of the ability to move, speak and breathe.<\/p>\n

Tim Shaw, who had a six-year career as a linebacker in the NFL and was a teammate of Johnson\u2019s with the Titans from 2010-12, was diagnosed in 2014 at age 30<\/a> with ALS and is still alive.<\/p>\n

Johnson, who also played one season for the New York Jets, first noticed weakness in his right hand and trouble with his grip. He was still working out daily a year ago. Now he can\u2019t hold a cup or speak on his own.<\/p>

Read more Teammates of Travis Kelce and others around sports attend his wedding to Taylor Swift<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYour mind stays sharp. People sometimes look at a person with a physical disability and assume you\u2019re not still the same person inside,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI still think the same. I still dream. I still love my family. My body just doesn\u2019t cooperate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson was joined for the interview by his wife, Brittany, who has become his primary caregiver.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe hasn\u2019t left my side through any of this. My kids are also a huge part of why I keep going,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cEvery day I wake up wanting more time with them to make more memories and just be their dad. They give me a reason to keep fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson has been participating in experimental treatments with the goal of extending his life and helping the medical field move closer to a cure for the disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research or gives another family hope,\u201d he said, \u201cthen it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson didn\u2019t discuss his playing career in the interview. In a later post on his Instagram account<\/a> he acknowledged the unknown about how he developed the disease but referenced research that has linked repetitive head trauma to ALS. That includes a 2021 study<\/a> that found NFL players were nearly four times more likely to develop the disease than the general male population.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope the NFL steps up, invests in research, and continues working to protect players \u2014 both now and for generations to come,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cTogether, we can push toward better treatments and, one day, a cure.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Real Madrid signs Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan to boost defense<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NFL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Johnson, one of nine players in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season who made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years with the Tennessee Titans, has revealed in a television interview that he has ALS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer NFL RB Chris Johnson, known as CJ2K for his 2,000 yards for Titans in '09, reveals he has ALS - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=6362\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former NFL RB Chris Johnson, known as CJ2K for his 2,000 yards for Titans in '09, reveals he has ALS - 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