Shannon Sharpe HEARTBROKEN NFL GREAT Chris Johnson Diagnosed with ALS at 39 | Nightcap

Hey guys, it's your favorite Unc here.Go ahead and click that subscribe button below so you don't miss a single episode of Nightcap.That button, right here.Come for the sports, stay for the stories.Former Titans running back, Chris Johnson, aka CJ TK, announced on Good Morning America that he has been diagnosed with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, at the age of 39.Johnson, who's no longer verbal due to the progression of ALS, spoke to Michael Strahan using a speech -generated device controlled by his eyes.

Johnson was able to record his voice so that the computer sounds just like him when he speaks.It's continued to progress much faster than I ever imagined.I want people to understand just how quickly ALS can attack your body.Just over a year ago, I was picking up my seven -year -old daughter so she could make a wish on a birthday cake.Today, I couldn't do that.Johnson added that many people don't realize that with ALS, your mind still stays sharp.

People sometimes look at the physical disability and assume you're not the same person inside.I still think the same.I still dream.I still love my family.My body just doesn't cooperate.Man, this broke my heart.

Yeah, that one hurt, boy.

A former teammate.Yes.O .J.Burgance, I don't know if you, he played with Baltimore, played with me in Baltimore, Joe and Ocho.We called him Juice.

And man, I think Juice is still around, but I think Juice might've had this, he might've had, he might've been dealing with it for about 15 years.It's normally quick.If normally, uh, the partner from what you call them out the remember the uh, the guy from new orleans ocho the one that blocked the kickwith Katrina at the Falcons.

Yeah, he has it.

Yeah.Steve Gleason, man.He said just a year ago and just like that, but he says he going to fight.I mean, obviously, you know, he's in clinical trials, uh, tried a lot of different drugs.And I heard the lady would speak and say this it's helped some, but listening, listening, listening to him talk, he said, the doctor said, get your affairs.

Yeah.

That's crazy.

Hell, he knew it was gonna be a lot damn sooner than that.You feel what I'm saying?And think about it, just to go from walking around, talking, cooking, having a good time, holding her grandchild, to couldn't, I'm talking about till it was bed rest, couldn't move nothing but her eyes, bro.I seen it, bro.I know what it looked like.

You said she had cancer?

Yeah, she had multiple myeloma, yeah.It just, and they break you down.Like, she lost weight so quick.Next thing you know, like, people come by the house, she was like, tell them I'm asleep.She wouldn't want to see nobody.She didn't want...

she didn't want nobody to see her like that.I'm talking about, it could be people who she grew up with, who been with her the whole night.Outside of me, my grandmother and my uncles, man, listen.Hey bro, that's hard, bro.Hey, when I seen that, when I seen that today, bro, I seen that, I was like, wow, it is 39, 39 years old.

Damn, life is precious, bro.It is, man.And when that doctor, when that doctor, because he told my sister, he said the same thing about my grandma.He told my sister, he said, you have everything in order?Because it's not going to be very many more times, Ms. Sharp, we're going to call you.

But the thing is, Ocho, they know it.

My grandpa came in there, because you know, he always up, you know, doctors, they want to be upbeat.They want to keep in a positive frame of mind.He said, how you doing today, Ms. Porter?She said, I ain't doing good.

I'm fine.

Just like that.Just like that.I mean, he came in there happy.Miss Porter, how you good?How you doing?It's so good to see you.

How we doing today?She told him, just like that, Ocho.She said, I ain't doing good.I'm dying.He said, Miss Porter, don't say that.Living St. Greta, don't talk like that.

She said, yeah, I'm dying.I know.Just like that.

Yeah.Hey, man, that's exactly how it is, bro.I'm telling you.I know what you're talking about, Aunt.My mama looked me dead in my eyes when she asked me, am I dying?Hell, I knew she was.

I couldn't tell her, yeah.Hey, I know exactly what you mean.What?

Yes!And you know, she's always been strong.I ain't really see my, when my grandfather died, granted didn't cry.So she gotta be strong.So I gotta be strong for her.

I can't cry.

Right.That's where the term came from.She said, boy, we all got an appointment.We can reschedule.We all got to do it, son.I just dropped my head, man.

Cause like I said, I'm a baby.She always called me.That's what she called me.That's who she, my mama comes, you know, that's my baby.She said I had him.She say, so that's my baby.

She was in Clackston hospital and um, I had told Libby, I said, Libby, go home.I'll stay.I got it from here.Libby had already got me a room at the motel.I could walk, but I'd draw.It's like two minutes.

It's right there on 301.So she wanted a shrimp dinner.I said, well, I said, Libby, why don't we go get a shrimp dinner?She said, it's the place right up there.It's right down there from such and such.OK, I went and got a shrimp dinner.

I said, you know, I said, Granny, these people know you eating shrimp in here.She said, it's better than the food they be giving me.The food they give me killing me.She said, boy, I want a shrimp dinner.I want some of them old, uh, what'd they call him?What'd they call him, Libby?

Them old corn dog.Yeah.So I go get a hush puppy.I said, but Libby, go ahead and go.I let Libby go home.Cause Libby was there every day from the time my grandmother went to Glenville hospital, even when she went to Claxton to have stuff done, my sister was right there with her.

So I told her,I let Libby go.Man, Ocho, so I said, well, I'm staying till she go to sleep.Every time I moved, Granny would wake up.Where you going?I said, well, I was fitting to go.

She's like, nah, baby, don't go.Stayed alone, I mean, man, I'm sitting in that chair, man, I was like, oh, my back killing me.So I waited, I let her get into a deep, deep, deep sleep.It probably like one o 'clock before I got up out of there.Left, came back.When I came back that morning, I barely be living in the room.

She talking about, where you been?You must've been waiting.I don't know.

I did, I did.

But man, man, but they, Joe, they know.They know.You know, I'm just, like you said, you know, just be positive, try to keep it a positive frame of mind.But my grandma had to make peace.

Yeah, that's the hardest thing, boy.

That's it.When they make peace with it and I have it.My grandma said, boy, I done lived a great life.I done raised my kids, raised you three.She say, baby, we all gotta do it.All gotta do it, son.

Gran, I want you to know that ain't easy.

By no means.

I don't care if she lived to be 125.I still wasn't ready to let her go.And my grandma is like your mom, Joe.Your mom thought you hung the moon.

Well, many nights, boy.

I just feel so bad for the man.He got, what, four kids?I think he got four kids, Ocho?

Yeah, three.Yeah, because he has a daughter.No, I think three.He got three?Yeah, two twins and a daughter, two son, two boys, and a daughter.39, man.

That man 39 years young.That's crazy.That's crazy.

Some, it happens quick.I've seen guys have it, and then within two years, they're gone.And like I said, I think Steve Gleason is still alive, and he's had it for at least 15 years.Oh, Juice has had it for at least that long.Look, yeah, he said it's taking control.His mind is still sharp.

He knows who he is.He's just trapped inside that body and can't do anything physically.That's the hardest thing.When you've been mobile, guys, see, somebody that's never had the ability to see, they don't know what they're missing not seeing anything because they've never had someone that's not been able to walk or someone that's born without arms they don't know what they're missing they never had it but to have it and to not that's tough bro and for his kids to see him like this like you said i mean picture a picture of health so you know just my grip strength wasn't what it was butwas, you know, drop stuff.

Mm -hmm.

You don't think, you know, hey, getting old is a sign of getting old.My grandma used to have all this, hey, hey, boy, uh, open this for your granny.You know, jar, whatever, soda, whatever it is.

Damn, Chris, man. I hate to even think about that, bro.

I ain't gonna lie, I couldn't even watch the whole thing.

Cuz it, cuz, cuz I, cuz, when it said, you know, cuz I, I'm, like, Think about it.Oh joy.So I'm here and I'm like, well, damn, he talking.And then I look closer.I'm like, no, he's not talking.

Yeah.

I was like, man, it's a year.He says it's been a year.Yeah.My girl used to say all the time, boy, you think we got it bad, but something worse every time it puts everything in the, you think she just trying to, you should just, you think people, when they say that they just trying to make you know, no, that's true.That is one thing, no matter what you're going through, somebody is going through something much worse.That doesn't make your situation, that doesn't make your situation that it's not important, that you're not going through something.

Whatever you think you're going through, promise you, somebody's going through something much worse.We all just want to help and to be able to know that.a joke.You couldn't help your mom.I couldn't help granny.His family can't help him.

It's in God's hands now.All he can do is just state, Hey, I want to live another day.I want to fight another day.I don't know, maybe five years, 10 years, 15 years from now, they'll find a cure or at least something to slow down the effects of it.Maybe, but you do realize there ain't no money in cures.Money's a treatment.

Why would I want to cure you from an addiction?I treat you and get money longer.Even if they found a cure, the big drug companies will kill it.Yep.

They'll hurt their pockets.

Damn, CJ.That's all we can do now is pray.

That's it.That's it, man.Hey, hey.And thank him, thank him.Just ask God to let his will be done.

I don't even know what to say, Ocho.I don't know what to do.Ain't nothing we can do but offer our thoughts and prayers.

Listen, you know, you know how I get.I'm trying to keep quiet.I ain't doing no crying tonight.I ain't doing no crying tonight.

And because I remember when I would go back into Baltimore and the Ravens took care of Jewish care.So they would, he had an office at the, at the Ravens facility.They come, they would come pick him up every day, come pick him up at his house, have a car, pick him up and bring him to, and bring him to the facility every day.Juice had an office there.And you know, uh, you know, his, obviously his wife, juice, you know what it is?She was asking about, uh, OJ, you, uh, you know what this is?

Dude, the computer just like, man, that's Shay.Good to see you.Man.It's just, man, it broke my, cause he was such a fun loving guy.Never had a bad word to say about it anyway.But go back and look at that Super Bowl.

O .J.made like the first four or five tackles on the special teams.