After spending the early part of his adult life taking hits for a living, Brett Favre beat the odds to have a successful football career from high school to college to the NFL. However, the former Green Bay Packers quarterback is dealt another challenge.
In his testimony in front of a congressional hearing on federal welfare this week, the 54-year-old Favre revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“Sadly, I also lost my investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others. As I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me—I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s—this is also a cause dear to my heart,” Favre said.
During his opening statement before Congress, @BrettFavre says he’s recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Full video here: https://t.co/bANW0t3SK6 pic.twitter.com/IFQzqC847M
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 24, 2024
Similar to CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and other diseases diagnosed later in life, Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that is more likely to develop in athletes engaging in football and other high-contact sports. Per the National Institute on Aging, its symptoms include “unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.”
People with Parkinson’s, like Brett Favre, can eventually have trouble with walking, talking, and memory loss. While the disease is not fatal, the UK’s National Health Service says that it can place great strain on the body, making an afflicted person vulnerable to more life-threatening diseases.
The legendary quarterback played in the NFL from 1991 to 2010, spending the majority of his career playing for the Green Bay Packers. He moved to New York to play for the Jets in 2008, then played with the Minnesota Vikings until his retirement in 2010. He held the record for career touchdown passes with 508 until Peyton Manning broke his record.
Super Bowl 56 Cincinnati Bengals Vs La Rams
Brett Favre’s 2022 slip might have been due to Parkinson’s
In 2022, Brett Favre slipped and fell backwards while stepping down the stage during a charity event hosted by Moe’s Original BBQ in Mobile, Alabama.
Back then, most people swept Favre’s fall under the rug as an innocent botch that anyone can make due to missing a step. Favre himself also brushed off the fall, joking that it was a Tennessee Titans helmet that caused him to fall.
Following Favre’s recent diagnosis revelation, most are attributing his infamous stage fall from 2022 to Parkinson’s disease, given that one of its symptoms is loss of coordination.
Following the fall, Favre’s fans wanted to make sure he was alright. The legendary quarterback was actually more concerned about damaging the helmet over his own safety that day. It seemed like with the many hits and falls he took over the course of his career, that one was no big deal.
Recalling that fall today, however, it may have been a sign of a grave health situation for Brett Favre.
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