The former 2,000-yard rusher revealed his diagnosis on Good Morning America, prompting a wave of support from Patrick Mahomes and former teammates as he navigates life with ALS.
Tennessee Titans fans from all over the country tuned in to "Good Morning America" on Monday morning.
News came out this past weekend that former Titans running back Chris Johnson would be on with former New York Giants defensive lineman Michael Strahan to announce personal news.
Johnson shared that he was diagnosed with ALS last year, but Monday was the first time that the public learned about it. It has progressed to the point where Johnson can no longer speak without the help of a device that tracks his eye movements and converts them into speech.
He was selected out of East Carolina by the Titans in the 2008 NFL Draft. He set a record at the NFL Combine with a 4.24 40-yard dash. That record stood until former Washington Huskies receiver John Ross broke it in 2017 by running a 4.22.
Johnson continued the legacy of elite running back play with the Titans.
He played for the franchise from 2008-2013. He placed himself in the same conversation as Titans greats such as Eddie George and Derrick Henry.
During his time in the Music City, he left quite the impact.
Johnson became one of the few players in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. He achieved that feat in 2009, rushing for 2,006 yards in just his second year in the league.
He left the Titans in 2013 and has the fourth-most career rushing yards in franchise history. Johnson still holds the record for most scrimmage yards in a single season in NFL history, recording 2,509 in 2009.
He finished with 1,000 rushing yards every year he was on the Titans and made three Pro Bowls.
After his time with the Titans came to an end, he joined the New York Jets. He then spent his final three years with the Arizona Cardinals before retiring after the 2017 season.
The news was devastating for Titans and NFL fans alike around the country. It wasn't long before support began pouring in for the three-time Pro Bowler on social media.
Even legends outside of football shared their kind words about Johnson, including WWE Superstar Ric Flair.
Stars from around the league like Patrick Mahomes made sure to let the Titans legend know they were thinking of him and his family.
Support from former Titans players came in on social media. Matt Hasselbeck sent warm wishes to Johnson. The two played together on the Titans from 2011-12.
Another one of his former teammates, Nate Washington, chimed in with a picture of Johnson and one of his children from back in the day.
Bo Scaife made sure to let Johnson know he was thinking about him. The two overlapped at the Titans from 2008-2010.
Johnson also received a message from former Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller.
Even a player who never crossed paths with Johnson at the Titans, Kevin Byard, sent him a kind message.
The Titans and Indianapolis Colts haven't gotten along well over the years, but even Jonathan Taylor put the divisional rival aside to let Johnson know he was thinking of him.
Johnson is a Titans legend through and through. Now, he's fighting a battle unlike anything he's had to face on the football field.
Luckily, he's got a great community of support here in the Music City and in the NFL. If Monday showed us anything, this isn't a fight that Johnson is going to face alone.
He has the entire city of Nashville and the NFL in his corner for this fight.
