Pittsburgh Sports Legend Suffering From Potentially Fatal Disease

PITTSBURGH, PA — An NFL Hall-of-Famer and Pittsburgh native has revealed he is suffering from a potentially fatal disease.

Dan Marino, 64, who grew up in the city's Oakland neighborhood and had a great career with the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and then the Miami Dolphins, told People he has metabolic dysfunction- associated steatohepatitis, a non-alcohlic fatty liver disease.

He has been battling the disease since 2007.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the illness causes the liver to swell and become damaged due to fat
deposits in the liver. The disease may get worse and may lead to serious liver scarring, called cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. This damage is like the damage caused by heavy alcohol use.