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Former Tennessee Titans and New York Jets running back Chris Johnson has revealed he has ALS.

The 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year had teased a big interview with fellow football icon Michael Strahan on Good Morning America, but fans were left stunned on Monday morning when the reason for the broadcast was revealed.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease - is a progressive neurological disease that slowly destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord over time.

Johnson - who was one of the fastest running backs in NFL history - was only diagnosed last year at the age of 39, but has already lost the ability to speak, using his eyes to trigger a voice machine as he sat alongside his wife for the ABC interview.

'First, I want people to know that I'm still me,' he began. 'ALS has changed what my body can do but it hasn't changed who I am.'

His rapid decline left fans in tears as they watched him explain his diagnosis and the subsequent effects on his body.

When asked why he had chosen now to share his story, Johnson revealed: 'Because if sharing my story helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research or gives another family hope, then it's worth it.'

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A former college football and NFL player, who played on both sides of the ball, has died at the age of 78.

Steve Zabel, a pioneer of two-way play in college football, passed away earlier this week, the NFLPA Former Players announced on social media. A cause of death is currently unknown.

The Minneapolis native is best known for his college career, which saw him play on both offense and defense under Chuck Fairbanks at Oklahoma.

He primarily played tight end, earning Second-Team All-American honors in 1968, a junior season that saw him become a force on defense as a linebacker, as well.

'Chuck Fairbanks called me in his office and said, 'Steve, we've proven we can't outscore people. We want you to play defensive end as well as tight end and see if we can't win some games,' Zabel recalled in a 2021 interview with the Eagles.

'For me, it was a great transition. I played both ways and punted, and we won our last six games in a row and won the Big Eight Championship.'

The two-way player was drafted with the sixth pick of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

He spent the first five years of his decade-long career in Philadelphia before joining the New England Patriots.

After four years with the Patriots, he enjoyed a brief stint with the Baltimore Colts before bringing the curtain down on his career.

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