Former NFL star Ahman Green reveals early-onset Parkinson’s diagnosis

The former Green Bay Packers running back says he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2025 after experiencing symptoms and is now speaking publicly about his health journey.

Former NFL star Ahman Green is opening up about a deeply personal health battle.

The Green Bay Packers legend revealed this week that he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in January 2025 after noticing troubling symptoms including walking and talking in his sleep. Green, 49, shared the news publicly for the first time during an appearance on the “Go Long with Tyler Dunne” podcast, saying he chose to wait until his family and close friends knew about his diagnosis before speaking out.

“Last year, I got diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s,” Green said. “I had a little bit of the feet twitching when I’m in my sleep… I knew something was going on long before that.”

According to Reuters, the four-time Pro Bowler said doctors ultimately confirmed the diagnosis after months of testing. While Parkinson’s has affected his short-term memory and occasionally makes it difficult to recall names, Green said he remains determined not to let the disease define him.

“I got the reins,” Green said. “I’m in control. I’m not going to let this control me. There (are) some medicines that I’ve been taking from the doctor’s ​side of it, so ​I made sure (to ⁠stay) on my protocol there but on my side, the food is my medicine.”

Green also emphasized his dedication to continuing to stay in shape, revealing he starts each day with a workout designed to activate every joint in his body and get his lymphatic system going.

“I’m ahead of it right now. 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 (shape) … until they really sat me down, between taking my vitals to having me walk in front of them and what they saw in my ⁠walk, in ​my gait and the way my shoulders hang.”

Green spent 12 seasons in the NFL and is best known for his dominant run with the Green Bay Packers, where he became the franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 8,322 rushing yards. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he rushed for more than 9,200 yards and scored 74 total touchdowns over the course of his career, also spending time with the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans before retiring in 2011.

His announcement comes as conversations continue about the long-term neurological health of former football players. While Green did not directly attribute his diagnosis to his playing career, he acknowledged that repeated hits sustained during years in the NFL have become part of a broader discussion surrounding Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions among retired athletes.

By sharing his diagnosis, Green said he hopes to encourage others to pay attention to changes in their health and seek medical care early. More than anything, he wants people to know that a Parkinson’s diagnosis is not the end of the story.