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NFL legend Brett Favre thanks God and his family after revealing his Parkinson's disease


NFL legend Brett Favre thanks God and his family after revealing his Parkinson's disease

Pro Football Hall of Fame member Brett Favre thanked God and everyone who sent him well wishes on Tuesday as he spoke about his battle with Parkinson's disease.

Favre posted X hours after he finished testifying on Capitol Hill.

Brett Favre speaks to lawmakers

Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre appears before the House Committee on Ways and Means on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“First, I want to thank God for all He has done in my life,” Favre wrote on X. “Next, I thank Congress for giving me the platform to discuss much-needed TANF reform.”

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“As you know, I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which has been a torment. My wife, family and friends have supported me and I want to thank them for being there for me. To my fans and everyone who wishes me well – thank you all for your love.”

He was appearing before a congressional committee to testify about a Mississippi welfare spending scandal that he spent the past few years investigating. The former NFL quarterback, who has not faced criminal charges in the case, has repaid more than $1 million in speaking fees funded by a state welfare program and was also an investor in a biotech company linked to the case.

The 54-year-old told MPs he had lost his investment in the company, which he thought was “developing a groundbreaking concussion drug that I thought would help others.”

“I'm sure you'll understand that although it's too late for me – I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's – this is a cause that's very close to my heart,” Favre said.

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Brett Favre with the Packers

Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren in 1992. (Jonathan Daniel/Allsport)

He called for a reform of the federal welfare system to better prevent fraud in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

“The challenges my family and I have faced over the past three years – because certain government officials in Mississippi failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse and now wrongly try to blame me for it – have damaged my reputation and are worse than anything I have experienced in football,” he said.

Favre said he did not know that the payments he received came from social funds.

Favre recently said he believes he suffered “thousands” of concussions during his playing career, and in 2021, he advised parents to keep their children away from tackle football until age 14.

He also told OutKick last month that he suffered a head injury in his last NFL game.

Favre spent 16 of his 20 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and played for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings after his time in Green Bay.

Brett Favre enters the chambers

Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre appears before the House Committee on Ways and Means on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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He threw for 71,838 yards and 508 touchdowns, both of which rank fourth all-time. A true gunslinger, his 336 interceptions are also the most of all-time.

Fox News' Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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