Brett Favre, one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks, has revealed he has Parkinson’s disease.
The 54-year-old spent most of his 20-year career with the Green Bay Packers and is the only player to be named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for three consecutive seasons, from 1995 to 1997.
A Super Bowl winner with the Packers in 1997, Favre revealed the news at a US Congressional hearing in an ongoing welfare fraud case.
“Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others,” said Favre.
“I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, this is also a cause dear to my heart.”
Favre, who has denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged, was named in a civil lawsuit for the misuse of federal welfare funds and is being pursued for $727,000 (£543,000) in interest from the Mississippi state auditor.
Favre, who retired with the Minnesota Vikings in 2011 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, said in 2013 that he suffers from memory loss, linking it to the long-term impact of head injuries during his playing career.
In December 2009, the NFL acknowledged for the first time, external that concussions can have long-term consequences.
After reaching a settlement worth $1bn (£665m) in 2015 to compensate former players, the NFL pledged to spend $100m (£75m) on medical and engineering research in 2016.