Former NFL star Chris Johnson says he's been diagnosed with ALS

Former NFL star Chris Johnson announced that he's been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Johnson, now 40, said he received the diagnosis last year. He shared the news in a "Good Morning America" interview with Michael Strahan, a retired NFL player himself and co-anchor of the talk show. The interview aired Monday. "If sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research, or gives another family hope, it's worth it," said Johnson. He told Strahan that doctors believe he has "sporadic" ALS, because there's no history of ALS in his family. The vast majority of cases — about 90% — are considered sporadic, meaning there isn't an inherited or genetic link, according to the National Institutes of Health. ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis , is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, severing the connection between the brain and muscles. People with the illness eventually lose their ability to walk, speak, eat and breathe, according to the ALS Association . Doctors are developing new treatments that help ease symptoms or slow down their progression, but they have not found a way to stop or cure it. Chris Johnson visits the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. George Walker IV / AP For Johnson, the disease progressed quickly. …