Former Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer announces he has dementia
By Aki Nace
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (WCCO) — Longtime Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer announced on Wednesday afternoon that he has been diagnosed with dementia.
Kramer, 69, said he had been diagnosed just over a year ago at the NFL Cleveland Clinic, and doctors give him anywhere from two to 10 years. He added that he had his yearly check-up, and doctors said he had not advanced in the first year.
Kramer, who made the announcement on X, said he wasn’t asking for sympathy.
“I’ve lived a great life and wouldn’t change a thing. Nobody wanted to win more than me and I never gave up, and that’s exactly how I’m going to battle this,” he said. “Football is the life we chose to live and sometimes stuff like this can happen.”
In an interview with WCCO in June, Kramer said he underwent tests at the Cleveland Clinic, where they told him that they had suffered 14 concussions.
“I know for sure it was more than what they said,” Kramer said. “I said, ‘I can tell you right now, double that.'”
He added that he is trying to bring awareness so the NFL will be able to help future players who are battling illnesses like dementia.
Kramer’s announcement comes on the heels of of Brett Favre revealing he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Favre made the announcement before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday afternoon, which is examining how states are falling short on using welfare to help families in need.
Favre said he has repaid more than $1 million in fees for speeches he never delivered and for radio spots that were paid for from the Mississippi welfare fund. Favre has denied wrongdoing and sued the state auditor and two sportscasters for defamation over the scandal.
According to the Mayo Clinic, dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that impact memory, thinking and social abilities.
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