Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre opened up about his battle with Parkinson's disease on Tuesday, thanking God and those who have wished him well.
Favre posted this X hours after finishing testifying before Congress.
Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre appears before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“First, I want to thank God for all that he has done in my life,” Favre wrote to X. “Second, I want to thank Congress for giving us the platform to discuss much-needed TANF reform.”
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“As you all know I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and it has been a very difficult journey. My wife, family and friends have been supporting me and I am grateful for always being there for them. To my fans and well wishers, thank you for the love.”
He has testified before congressional committees about the Mississippi welfare spending scandal he was embroiled in in recent years. The former NFL quarterback, who has not faced criminal charges in that case, has repaid more than $1 million in speaking fees paid to him by a state welfare program and was an investor in a biotechnology company linked to the case.
The 54-year-old told lawmakers he lost his investment in the company “which had developed a breakthrough concussion treatment that he believed could help other people.”
“As you can imagine, it's too late for me now – I've only just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease – but this is something that's very important to me,” Favre said.
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Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren in 1992. (Jonathan Daniel/All Sports)
He advocated reform of the federal welfare system to more effectively prevent fraud in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
“The challenges my family and I have faced over the past three years have tarnished my reputation and are worse than any challenges I have faced in football because some government officials in Mississippi have failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and misuse and are trying to unfairly blame me,” he said.
Favre said he did not know the payment he received came from the welfare fund.
Favre recently said he believes he suffered “thousands of” concussions during his playing career, and in 2021 he encouraged parents to keep their children away from tackle football until they were 14 years old.
He told OutKick last month that he suffered a head injury on his final play in the NFL.
Favre spent 16 of his 20 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and played for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings after his time with Green Bay.
Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre appears before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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He threw for 71,838 yards and 508 touchdowns, both good for fourth all-time. A true gunslinger, his 336 interceptions are also the most in history.
Fox News' Ryan Mollick contributed to this report.
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