Former Green Bay Packers star reveals early-onset Parkinson's disease diagnosis
Former Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green says he is battling early-onset Parkinson's disease.
Green, 49, shared the news on the "Go Long" podcast Wednesday.
"I know, unfortunately, there's a day we eventually -- where our clock stops ticking. The way I look at it, my clock is going to stop ticking when I want it to stop ticking," he said.
On the podcast, Green said some of the first symptoms he experienced included his feet twitching in his sleep.
"I knew something was going on long before that," he said.
Green said he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's in January 2025 but did not share the news of his diagnosis publicly "for a long time," in order to ensure his friends and family knew of his condition first.
"[I was] helping my kids with the information, letting them know, but then say[ing], 'Hey I got the reins. I'm in control. I'm not going to let this control me,'" he said.
He also said he is currently on medications for the disease.
"[My] short term memory is trash," he said. "I've got to like remind myself of things, like when I meet somebody for the first time."
He said he has also dealt with twitching and sleep walking.
Green was also optimistic about his approach to the disease.
"Just like anybody discovering that they have some type of cancer in their body, I'm ahead of it right now," he said. "For the doctors that examine me, they said, really, if they didn't know what they knew about the early signs, they would have thought I was in great, you know, healthy condition."
Green played for Green Bay from 2000 to 2006. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans, returning to the Packers in 2009 for one final NFL season.
Green announced his official football retirement in August 2011.
Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the weakening of nerve cells, which become damaged and die, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Common movement symptoms include tremors, stiffness, slowed movement and balance problems, according to NINDS.
"Although PD symptoms often begin on one side of the body, usually both sides are affected," the agency states. "Symptoms are often less severe on one side than they are on the other."
Parkinson's can also cause non-movement symptoms, including depression, anxiety, apathy, sleep problems and cognitive changes.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease, however surgery or medications can help manage movement symptoms.
