Former Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green disclosed Wednesday that he has early-onset Parkinson’s disease.
The 49-year-old shared the news during an appearance on the “Go Long” podcast hosted by Tyler Dunne. Green said testing confirmed the diagnosis in January 2025 after he noticed ongoing symptoms.
“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 and stuff like that.”
He explained that warning signs had appeared well before the official results.
“I knew something was going on long before that. I just got a hold of some doctors that I was able to get in contact with. Get the diagnostics, get the testing. And finally got it tested last — it was January of 2025.”
Green said he kept the information private for an extended period so he could first speak with those closest to him.
“I didn’t share it for a long time because I wanted to let my kids know, my family,” he said. “I let them all know first before I told friends, family, somebody like yourself.”
His wife first observed the nighttime twitching not long after Green retired from the NFL in 2009. In more recent years the symptoms expanded to include sleepwalking, talking during sleep and short-term memory lapses.
Green remains the Packers’ career rushing leader with 8,322 yards. He played 12 seasons overall from 1998 to 2009 with the Seattle Seahawks, Packers and Houston Texans, finishing with 9,205 rushing yards, 2,883 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns from scrimmage. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he also starred at Nebraska.
Despite the diagnosis, Green emphasized a continued commitment to exercise, nutrition and prescribed medication. He described an optimistic outlook and stressed the value of early detection and public discussion of neurological conditions linked to contact sports.
“It needs to be up front,” Green said. “It needs to be a topic that’s always hit. And it’s not the end all.
“To me, I have a jump ahead of it,” he added. “Just like anybody discovering that they have some type of cancer in their body, I’m ahead of it right now.”
Green is the second high-profile former Packers player in recent years to announce a Parkinson’s diagnosis. Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre revealed his own condition in 2024.
Approaching the challenge with the same determination he once showed on the field, Green declared, “The way I look at it, my clock is going to stop ticking when I want it to stop ticking. It’s the way I ran the ball. That’s how I look at it. You’ve got to break both my legs to stop me.”
He plans to stay active, continue working and raise awareness about the disease.
