How Brett Favre revealed his fear of a brain disease years before his Parkinson's diagnosis

Brett Favre's recent revelation that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease is not the first time he has shared his fears about traumatic brain injuries with the public.

“I look at it like I've probably had thousands of concussions,” Favre admitted to DailyMail.com in 2018. “If a concussion is a ringing in the ear, seeing stars, a little dizziness, a foggy, blurry feeling or whatever, I couldn't even count how many of them I've had. Tons.”

Favre spoke exclusively to DailyMail.com at the time, in part to promote Prevacus, a biotechnology company he had invested in to develop a drug to prevent and treat concussions.

It was that investment, Favre said at Tuesday's congressional hearing, that implicated him in a widespread welfare fraud scheme in Mississippi. The former NFL star was never charged in the case and has repaid more than $1 million in fees for unpaid speeches funded by state welfare programs, though he reportedly still owes more than $700,000 in interest.

“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 told the House Budget Committee on Tuesday. “And I'm sure you'll understand why it's too late for me because I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's. This is also a matter of the heart.”

Brett Favre appears before the House Budget Committee on Capitol Hill

Favre grimaces in pain as he sits on the bench after being fired by LaVar Arrington in 2002

Concussions are linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, and Favre's case follows the famous example of Muhammad Ali, who was diagnosed with the syndrome about 30 years after he began amateur boxing. Unlike Ali, who suffered a slow, quiet decline, Favre spoke openly about his fears when speaking to DailyMail.com in 2018.

The worst times were when he suffered a sudden loss of memory, Favre explained.

“Those were the worst concussions I've ever had. I didn't remember for a while,” he said. “I remembered later, but it took a while. No pain. Just, 'What's going on here?'”

His worst blow came in 2010, when he was brought down by the Chicago Bears defense while playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

After getting back on his feet, a confused Favre asked a member of the training staff, “What are the Bears doing here?”

This was supposed to be Favre's farewell. He failed NFL-mandated concussion testing and was ruled out of the final game of the regular season. A few weeks later, Favre officially submitted his retirement papers.

Packers quarterback Brett Favre is sacked by Denver Broncos defender Steve Atwater

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Farve is sacked by Miami Dolphins defenders in 2010

That post-concussion test may have saved Favre from further injury, but the truth is that for most of his 20-year career, the NFL did not require such testing. And like many others who played youth, high school and college football in the 1980s, Favre was not worried about head injuries.

“I really think about the concussions I've had. You didn't go to the coach and say, 'Hey, I need ice for my head,'” Favre said. “A lot of guys went and drank beer and ate pizza. You didn't think about it. You said, 'I just have a headache for a couple of days,' but nothing changed.”

“There was no protocol, you didn’t have to take a test. You could go about your normal routine.”

Favre now knows the work of forensic pathologist and neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, who helped the world understand chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in football players.

“As Dr. Omalu has determined, it's a concussion,” Favre said of the doctor portrayed by Will Smith in the Hollywood film “The Truth.” “I don't care if you want to classify it as serious or not so serious. It's a concussion. It's like a punch in boxing. You think, 'Oh, he's fine. He can take the punches.'”

“Well, it's a repetitive boom, boom, boom. Ringing in the ears, dizziness, seeing stars, all the result of head trauma.

“A little head trauma is bad. A little head trauma over and over again is really bad. And I had a lot of that.”

Favre used welfare money to finance a volleyball court at his alma mater, Southern Miss.

Favre continues to battle negative press surrounding his connection to $77 million in welfare fraud.

Specifically, Favre was accused of using $5 million in welfare money to build a new volleyball arena at his alma mater, Southern Mississippi University, where his daughter played volleyball at the time, and another $1.7 million in public funds to develop a treatment for Prevacus' concussion.

The NFL icon also recently sued former NFL players and media commentators Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee for comments made about him and the funds.

The lawsuit against McAfee was dropped after the host publicly apologized for telling viewers of his popular ESPN show that Favre was “stealing from the poor people of Mississippi.”