Chris Johnson, the former Tennessee Titans running back who earned the nickname CJ2K after rushing for 2,006 yards in 2009, the sixth player in NFL history to hit that mark, appeared on Good Morning America Monday morning to reveal that he was diagnosed with ALS in 2025. He is 40 years old.
The disease has progressed so rapidly that he now uses a speech-generating device triggered by his eyes to speak.
The device uses recordings of his own voice, made shortly after his diagnosis.
He sat beside his wife Brittany as co-anchor Michael Strahan conducted the interview.
Johnson's first symptom was weakness in his right hand, a grip that didn't feel right. Brittany thought it was football-related, maybe a pinched nerve. It was ALS.
"There's no history of ALS in my family," Johnson said. He added:
"My doctors believe my case is what's called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen. That's one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it."
His doctor told him a medication might extend his life by a few months and that he should get his affairs in order. He found a different path.
After watching a Good Morning America segment featuring actor Eric Dane, who died from ALS in February, and his doctor, leading ALS researcher Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, Johnson reached out directly. He is now enrolled in a clinical trial.
"Just over a year ago, I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she could make a wish with her birthday cake," he said. "Today, I couldn't do that."
He went public because he wants it to matter. "If sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research, or gives another family hope, then it's worth it." He said the same thing he wants the world to know: "ALS has changed what my body can do. But it hasn't changed who I am."
He played 10 NFL seasons, rushed for 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns, was drafted 24th overall by the Titans in 2008, ran the then-record 4.24-second 40-yard dash at the combine, and was named Offensive Player of the Year for the 2009 season.
He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2024. He retired in 2017.
The ALS Association helpline is 1-800-782-4747 for anyone seeking information or support.