Former NFL Player Chris Johnson Opens Up About His ALS Diagnosis
Listen to the story
Chris Johnson played football in the NFL. Now he has a serious sickness called ALS.
Doctors found the sickness when Johnson was 39 years old. At first, he thought it was an old injury from football.
But the problem was not just an injury. It was ALS, a very serious disease.
ALS makes muscles weak over time. It is a hard sickness to live with.
Johnson is now talking about his story. He wants people to know about his journey.
He is fighting the disease. He wants more time with his family.
Johnson shared his feelings in an interview. He called it a hard and sad time in his life.
Many people know Johnson from his football career. Now they are learning about his health fight too.
Vocabulary15 words
- NFL
- a big group of American football teams
- ALS
- a serious sickness that makes muscles weak
- injury
- damage to the body, like from sports
- disease
- a sickness in the body
- journey
- a long experience, not always about travel
- interview
- when someone answers questions for the news
- diagnosed
- when a doctor says what sickness you have
- muscles
- body parts that help you move
- career
- the years someone works at a job
- former
- someone who used to do something, not now
- serious
- very bad or important
- fighting
- trying hard against something bad
- sickness
- a health problem
- weak
- not strong
- share
- to tell others something
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Quiz
Answer key
1. ALS 2. 39 3. An old football injury
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Chris Johnson played football in the _____. Now he has a serious sickness called _____.
Doctors found the sickness when Johnson was _____ years old. At first, he thought it was an old _____ from football.
But the problem was not just an injury. It was ALS, a very serious _____.
ALS makes _____ weak over time. It is a hard sickness to live with.
Johnson is now talking about his story. He wants people to know about his _____.
He is fighting the disease. He wants more time with his _____.
Johnson shared his feelings in an _____. He called it a hard and sad time in his life.
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