Text size

NFL legend Brett Favre announced Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease after suffering an estimated “thousands” of concussions during his 20-year career.

The 54-year-old former Green Bay Packers quarterback announced the diagnosis during his testimony before a US congressional committee in Washington that is investigating the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds.

“Sadly, I lost my investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug that I thought would help others,” Favre told lawmakers.

“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 was referring to Prevacus, a company that makes a concussion drug and received $2 million in taxpayer money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund.

The company's founder, Jacob VanLandingham, pleaded guilty to wire fraud earlier this year after admitting to using welfare money he received at Prevacus to pay off gambling debts.

Favre, who played 321 consecutive games during his career – an NFL record for a quarterback – retired from the sport in 2010.

In a 2018 interview, Favre said that although he had only been officially diagnosed with a handful of concussions during his career, he believed the actual number was far higher.

“As far as I know, maybe three or four,” Favre said in the interview when asked how many times he had suffered a concussion. “There's an expression that's often used in football and maybe other sports: I 'got a hit.'”

“If you have ringing in your ears and you see stars, that's a concussion. If that's a concussion, I've had hundreds, probably thousands, over the course of my career, and that's scary.”

Parkinson's is a degenerative disease that affects motor functions. Typical symptoms include tremors, stiffness and difficulty walking. In advanced stages, depression, anxiety and dementia also often occur.

According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, approximately 10 million people worldwide are affected by the disease.

Favre said in 2018 he was unsure if he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the disease at the center of the NFL's $1.2 billion settlement in a 2013 concussion case that cannot be diagnosed in living people.

However, he admitted that he suffered from symptoms such as short-term memory loss and occasional speech difficulties.

“I stammer simple words that would normally come easily to my lips in conversation,” Favre said at the time.

“Yeah, I forgot my keys and they were in my hand. Where are my glasses and it's on your head. You know, I wonder if that's it. Or do I have early stages of CTE? I don't know.”