Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre traveled to Washington today to testify before Congress about his relationship with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. The federal TANF funds were part of the $8 million he allegedly illegally diverted to build a new volleyball arena for the University of Southern Mississippi, fund a concussion drug company and line his own pockets.
Officially, Favre spoke before the House Appropriations Committee on a topic titled “Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Reform: States’ Abuse of Welfare Funds Fails Poor Families.” Unofficially, this day will be remembered as the day Favre announced he had Parkinson’s disease.
Regarding the company that makes concussion medication, Favre said the following on Tuesday:
“Unfortunately, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug that I thought would help others. I’m sure you’ll understand that while it’s too late for me because I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, this is also a cause that is close to my heart.”
Favre, who holds the NFL record for starts with 321 consecutive games (297 regular season games) from 1992 to 2010, recently served as executive producer of a new documentary titled Concussed: The American Dreamwhich focused on the life of former NFL safety Tyler Sash, who overdosed within two years of his last NFL game. Sash was found to have developed stage 2 CTE in his brain at just 27 years old.
At 55, Favre is considered young enough to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s. According to the National Institute of Aging, most people develop the disease after age 60.
