Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre announced during a congressional hearing on Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disease of the nervous system that causes parts of the brain to decay and limit movement.

Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee, Favre discussed Prevacus, a company that makes a concussion drug and is receiving $2 million in funding from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Favre was Prevacus’ largest investor, and text messages show that in November 2018 he began asking state agencies for help in raising funds for the company.

“Unfortunately, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug that I thought would help others,” Favre said in his opening remarks. “And I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me because I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. That, too, is a cause that is very close to my heart.”

Prevacus founder Jacob VanLandingham pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July, admitting he used Mississippi welfare funds to pay off gambling and other debts.

Favre spoke about his involvement in a wide-ranging welfare case in Mississippi. At least $77 million in TANF funds intended for poor families were diverted to the rich and powerful, according to a 2019 Mississippi state audit.

When Favre, 54, was asked in a 2018 interview how many concussions he had suffered, he said he only knew “three or four” but believed he may have suffered more than 1,000 concussions during his 20-year NFL career.

“If you have ringing in your ears and you see stars, that’s a concussion,” Favre told the Today Show. “And if that’s a concussion, I’ve had hundreds, maybe thousands, over the course of my career, and that’s scary.”