Brett Favre talks about the ‘frustrating’ health worries that led to Parkinson’s diagnosis

Brett Favre revealed the moment he realized something was wrong before his Parkinson's diagnosis in early January.

The legendary NFL quarterback, who made the news public at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, said he decided to see a doctor when he was having difficulty getting his dominant right arm through a hole in his jacket.

“I felt my arm – the strength was there, but I couldn't move it. And that was the most frustrating thing,” Favre told TMZ in an interview the newspaper conducted with the former quarterback in August. He announced his diagnosis at the time and asked TMZ not to publish the news.

Favre said his right arm would “get stuck” and if he pushed it down, “seconds later it would be back” – adding that he couldn't even hold a screwdriver steady with one hand.

Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder of the nervous system that gets worse over time. There is no cure.

After his Parkinson's diagnosis, Favre recalled that five specialists told him the disease was likely a result of the beatings he suffered during his 20-year NFL career.

“They all said the same thing. If it doesn't run in your family' – and it doesn't on either side of my family – 'the first thing we look at is head injuries,'” Favre said. “But damn, I wrote the book on head injuries.”

Favre spoke openly about his history of concussions.

In 2022, during an appearance on the radio show “The Bubba Army,” he said he had suffered “thousands” of concussions in his professional career.

Favre had previously stated in an interview on “TODAY” with Megyn Kelly in 2018 that his short-term memory and word recall had declined. He was 48 years old at the time.

“I wonder if that's it or if I'm in the early stages of CTE. I don't know,” he said at the time.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with repeated head trauma and concussions and has been identified in numerous professional football players.

In his 302-game NFL career, Favre played 299 consecutive games, a record.

He won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 1997, was named MVP three times in a row from 1995 to 1997, was also selected to the Pro Bowl eleven times and was named to the All-Pro first team three times.

Favre announced his Parkinson's diagnosis on Tuesday during a congressional hearing on misspending and social reform.

His testimony came after he was linked to the Mississippi welfare scandal in 2020, when he and others were accused of misusing welfare funds for personal projects – including the cost of a new volleyball center at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Favre is a graduate of Southern Miss and his daughter was a volleyball player there.

Later Tuesday, Favre posted a statement on his social media pages thanking his wife, Deanna, and their family and friends for the support they gave him during his diagnosis.

“First, I want to thank God for all He has done in my life,” he began. “Next, I thank Congress for giving me the platform to discuss much-needed TANF reform.”

“As you know, I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and it has been a difficult time for me. My wife, family and friends have supported me and I want to thank them for being there for me.

“To my fans and everyone who wishes me well – thank you all for your love.”