Hall of Fame former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre revealed during testimony at a congressional hearing Tuesday that he has been recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The 54-year-old has said he believes he suffered thousands of concussions during his Super Bowl-winning career.
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He disclosed the heartbreaking news during testimony in front of the House Ways and Means Committee:
Favre was there to talk about funds he may have received improperly from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. But it was the news about his health that stunned listeners.
Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others, and I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s affects motor skills, among other things, and can be associated with head trauma—something pro football players often experience.
Parkinson’s disease is a condition where a part of your brain deteriorates, causing more severe symptoms over time. While this condition is best known for how it affects muscle control, balance and movement, it can also cause a wide range of other effects on your senses, thinking ability, mental health and more.
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Favre played for over 20 years in the NFL and appeared in 302 games, including a 299 consecutive game streak, and won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 1997.
The three-time MVP described how he took many, many hits during his career:
When asked in a 2018 interview how many concussions he suffered, Favre, 54, said he knows of only “three or four” but believes he could have suffered more than 1,000 concussions during his 20-season NFL career.
“When you have ringing of the ears, seeing stars, that’s a concussion,” Favre told the “Today” show. “And if that is a concussion, I’ve had hundreds, maybe thousands, throughout my career, which is frightening.”
Although this has nothing to do with his diagnosis, I saw that he posted this patriotic message recently, and it seemed even more meaningful given the sad news:
The TANF funds issue is complicated and messy, but if you’re interested, you can read more about it here. Favre has also been involved in other minor scandals, but that’s not a subject that needs to be addressed right now.
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What I’d rather talk about is what a fun player Favre was to watch and what incredible enthusiasm and fun he brought to the game. Even though I’m a Chicago Bears fan and had to watch Favre beat my team many, many times over the years (he was 23-13 against them), he still made me (and millions more) smile with his infectious love of the game.
For any of you who have experience with Parkinson’s, meanwhile, you know it can be a nasty enemy indeed. I pray for #4.