Tim Green, Former Atlanta Falcon, Diagnosed With ALS

Former Atlanta Falcon star defensive player Tim Green has been diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Green, who will be featured on this Sunday's 60 Minutes on CBS, made the announcement on his Facebook page. Green, a former No. 1 pick, played for the Falcons from 1986-93. After he retired, he went on to become a national best-selling author.

Green said he's been suffering from neurological problems in his hands for the past five years. "At first the doctors thought the damage I'd done to my elbows in football was the culprit, so they operated to release the nerves, but the issue persisted and my voice began to weaken as well," he wrote. "That’s the only reason I’ve had to stop visiting schools to talk with kids. Finally, I was diagnosed with ALS. That's the bad news.

"Now the good news: Like many conditions, ALS has different forms. While of course I'd rather not have it at all, I am extremely grateful that mine is a slow-progressing version of the disease."

While Green played in the NFL, he also studied law and began his writing career. By the time he retired from football in 1994, he had already published his first book and become a lawyer. In addition to those two jobs, he began working as a television broadcaster for FOX NFL Sunday and other shows, including Battlebots, Good Morning America, Court TV, A Current Affair, and most recently, Find My Family.

He's written more than a dozen books for adults, and then began writing a series of novels for young readers set in a world of sports taken from his own experiences as an athlete and a coach. Since that time, he has made more than 1200 school visits and spoken to nearly a half million kids across the United States.

Green said he has also started a fundraiser to help fight ALS.

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Image Tim Green Books