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Former NFL star Chris Johnson, famously nicknamed CJ2K after his record-breaking 2,006-yard rushing season with the Tennessee Titans in 2009, has revealed he is battling ALS.
Johnson, 40, shared the news in a pre-taped Good Morning America interview with Michael Strahan, using a speech-generating device controlled by his eyes after losing the ability to speak. "ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn't changed who I am," he said.
Diagnosed in 2025 at age 39, Johnson first noticed weakness in his right hand. His wife Brittany initially thought the symptoms were football-related injuries, but after multiple rounds of testing, doctors confirmed ALS. Johnson's case is sporadic ALS, the most common form, which occurs without family history and accounts for about 90% of diagnoses.
The disease has advanced quickly. Johnson explained, "Just over a year ago I was picking up my 7-year-old daughter so she could make a wish with her birthday cake. Today, I couldn't do that." Despite the rapid decline, he remains determined: "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."
Johnson has been treated with standard ALS medications and took part in a clinical trial aimed at reducing inflammation. His doctors recorded his voice before he lost speech, allowing his device to sound like him.
Brittany has become his primary caregiver, balancing the heavy workload with hope for a breakthrough. "Our life has shifted so much, but I have no doubt this is what I was called to do," she said.
The Titans organization released a statement praising Johnson's impact on the team and community, pledging support for him and his family. Johnson himself credits his wife and four children as his reason to keep going: "Every day I wake up wanting more time with them, to make more memories and just be their dad."
Though there is no cure, Johnson says ongoing research gives him hope. "As long as they're fighting for people with ALS, I'm going to keep fighting too."