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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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In 2022, retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre irreparably damaged his legacy when he was accused of taking $5 million from Mississippi's welfare fund to help build a volleyball and wellness facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre played football and his daughter played volleyball.
Tuesday, Favre appeared before a congressional committee in a hearing on states' misuse of welfare funds. During his testimony, the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee made a stunning revelation: he had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
"Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others," Favre said, via Front Office Sports. "I'm sure you'll understand, while it's too late for me because I've recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's, this is also a cause dear to my heart."
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Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disorder. According to the National Institutes of Health, it causes nerve cells (neurons) in parts of the brain to weaken, become damaged, and die, leading to symptoms that include problems with movement, tremors, stiffness, and impaired balance.
The 54-year-old is one of many football players who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease after their playing days ended. A cross-sectional study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed athletes with a history of playing organized football had higher odds of having reported Parkinson's than other retired athletes.
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According to JAMA, Parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease (PD) are known to result from repetitive head impacts, though it is historically closer associated with boxing than football.
"Would I have done it different had I known?" Favre said in the documentary Concussed: The American Dream. "I don't know that."
In an interview with NBC Sports, Favre said he suffered "thousands" of concussions during his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings from 1991-2010. His 298 career games started are second all-time to Tom Brady.
Favre also used his time before Congress Tuesday to declare he had no knowledge he engaged in any wrongdoing.
"I wanted to help my alma mater and benefit the community," Favre said in a prepared statement, via FOS. "Southern Miss introduced me to the nonprofit to see if they could help with funding. I had no way of knowing that there was anything wrong with how the state funded the project especially since it was publicly approved by many state agencies and multiple attorneys including the Attorney General."
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