NASHVILLE — Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson revealed his ALS diagnosis to the world on Monday in a Good Morning America interview with Michael Strahan. The message he delivered should resonate far beyond the sports community.

Johnson, one of only eight players in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards and one of the most electrifying players to ever wear a Titans uniform, showed an incredible amount of bravery in making his fight public.

Chris Johnson’s message of strength should not be treated as a eulogy

The diagnosis came a year ago.

Since then, Johnson has lost the ability to speak conventionally. He can no longer lift an item as small as a cup on his own. He now communicates with the assistance of a computer program that tracks his eyes to form words. ALS has made him, as it does to so many, a prisoner of his own body, his mental faculties intact while his physical capabilities deteriorate.

What stood out most was not the diagnosis itself. It was the conviction from Johnson to fight against it.

Johnson’s message, paraphrased, was direct: though he is physically less than he used to be, he is still here. His mind is still here. The person we know is still here. The form has changed, but the fight has not.

That distinction matters.

There is a natural human tendency when someone we admire faces something this devastating to speak about them in the past tense, to frame the conversation as a farewell. Johnson made clear that is not what this is. His life is not over. He has more living to do, even if the way he goes about it looks different than anyone could have imagined.

That component of not eulogizing Chris Johnson while Chris Johnson is actively fighting is critically important. Don’t treat it like a goodbye.

Treat it like what it is: a declaration.

Remembering the human being, not just the football player

The other element that struck me was the way so many of the articles and conversations surrounding Johnson on Monday immediately defaulted to career statistics and NFL accomplishments.

We know Chris Johnson because of what he did on a football field. He is one of two players, alongside Derrick Henry, who stand as the most electrifying figures in franchise history. The 2,000-yard season remains one of the great individual achievements the sport has ever seen.

Henry expressed his own messages of support and gratitude for Johnson’s friendship on Monday, a reminder of the bonds that extend well beyond the field.

But Johnson has not been a football player for a long time. He is a husband, a father, a family member. All of those things define him as a human being. What you do is not who you are.

A lot of us mix those two things up easily.

Separating the great accomplishments of Chris Johnson from the humanity of the person standing in front of us is not about diminishing those accomplishments. It is about recognizing that the man matters more than the highlight reel.

A Titans community that has endured too much loss

This news lands on a community still grieving.

The passing of former Titans coach and broadcaster Dave McGinnis in recent months left a hole in hearts across the organization and fanbase. To see another beloved figure in Chris Johnson face his own fight against a devastating disease compounds that weight.

Johnson’s courage to appear publicly in such a vulnerable state, to show what ALS does to the human body, serves a purpose bigger than himself. He is using the platform that football gave him to fight on behalf of an entire community of people battling this disease who do not have that same platform.

For those looking to help, als.org is where donations can be made. Many people on Monday donated $28 in honor of No. 28, a small but meaningful gesture toward raising awareness and research funding.

I would encourage everyone to watch the full interview on Good Morning America’s social media channels. It runs about seven minutes. It is important for those who haven’t seen Johnson in a while to understand the full scope of what this disease does.

This conversation starts today but does not end today. Our best to Chris Johnson and his family.

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Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.