There is no official, complete count of football players diagnosed with ALS. Publicly reported lists include dozens of former players, but totals vary because no central registry tracks every diagnosis across professional, college, and amateur football.
That means a single number needs context: who was counted, what years were covered, and whether the list records diagnoses or deaths. Here’s how to interpret the figures, what research has found about NFL players, and why a reported diagnosis does not prove that football caused ALS.
How many football players have had als?
There is no definitive total. Public accounts have named dozens of former professional football players with ALS, but there is no complete public registry covering every player, league, and level of the sport. Counts can also change as new diagnoses become public and older records are checked.
Some widely circulated lists have reported totals in the dozens, sometimes around 40 former NFL players. Treat such numbers as reported compilations, not as an official census or a confirmed count of everyone who has ever played football. They may include only people whose diagnoses were publicly disclosed, and different lists may use different inclusion rules.
The answer also depends on what “football players” means. A count of former NFL players is not the same as a count that includes the Canadian Football League, college teams, high school teams, and other leagues. Without a stated population and time period, a precise total can sound more certain than the evidence allows.
Why reported totals differ
ALS is a serious medical diagnosis, and many people keep health information private. Public lists therefore miss people who have not chosen to share their diagnosis. Records may also be incomplete, and a list assembled from news reports is not necessarily checked against medical records.
Counts can differ for other reasons, too. Some lists count living players and people who have died; others focus on ALS deaths. Some include only NFL players, while others include players from different football codes or leagues. A diagnosis may also be reported years after a player retires, making the time period used for a count important.
So, when you see a number, look for three details: which leagues are included, what years are covered, and whether the number counts diagnoses or deaths. If those details are missing, the figure is best understood as an estimate from public reports, not a complete total.
What research has found about ALS and NFL players
Research has raised questions about whether some former professional football players experience a higher risk of ALS than the general population. One frequently discussed study, published in 2012, examined 3,439 former NFL players who had played between 1959 and 1988. Researchers identified 10 deaths from ALS in that group and reported that ALS mortality was higher than expected compared with the general population.
The study estimated that the players were about four times as likely to die from ALS as people in the comparison population. That result matters, but it does not provide a total number of all football players who have ever had the disease. It examined a specific group, followed for a particular purpose, and counted deaths rather than every diagnosis among all football participants.
It also cannot establish that football caused ALS in any individual or that a particular aspect of the sport caused the observed difference. A study can identify an association—a pattern between two things—without showing that one directly caused the other. Researchers need additional evidence to understand whether the association is real, what might explain it, and which players might face different levels of risk.
What that study can and cannot tell you
- It can show a pattern in the studied group. The researchers found more ALS deaths than expected in the specific cohort they examined.
- It cannot count every diagnosed player. Its population and outcome were limited; it was not a worldwide registry of football players.
- It cannot identify the cause for an individual diagnosis. A population-level result does not explain why a particular person developed ALS.
- It cannot automatically be applied to every level of football. Former NFL players in the study are not the same group as high school, college, or recreational players.
Another useful distinction is between incidence and mortality. Incidence means new diagnoses in a population over a period of time. Mortality means deaths attributed to a condition. A study reporting ALS deaths does not directly answer how many people in a broader group were diagnosed and are living with the disease.
Football players publicly diagnosed with ALS
Several former players have made their diagnoses public. Examples include Steve Gleason, a former NFL safety; O. J. Brigance, who played in the NFL and Canadian Football League; Tim Green, a former NFL defensive end; Dwight Clark, a former San Francisco 49ers player; Kevin Turner, a former NFL running back; and Steve McMichael, a former NFL defensive tackle.
These examples help explain why the subject receives attention, but they do not make a complete list. Players who have not disclosed a diagnosis should not be counted as confirmed cases, and a list of well-known names can leave out people from less prominent leagues. A public figure’s account is evidence of that individual’s reported diagnosis, not evidence that football caused it.
It is also important not to mix ALS with other conditions associated in public discussion with former athletes. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, often shortened to CTE, is a different condition. It is not another name for ALS, and a report about one should not be treated as confirmation of the other.
Similarly, a player’s death does not establish an ALS diagnosis. A count of people who died after playing football is not a count of players who died from ALS. Reliable reporting should identify the condition specifically and distinguish a confirmed public diagnosis from rumor or speculation.
How to read different football and ALS counts
When articles give different totals, the numbers may be describing different things rather than directly contradicting each other. Use the table below to see what a figure can—and cannot—mean.
| Type of figure | What it counts | Best used for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publicly reported player list | Players whose diagnoses have been reported publicly | Identifying known examples and understanding public attention | May be incomplete and depend on disclosure or media coverage |
| Former NFL study cohort | A defined group of former NFL players studied during a specified period | Assessing patterns within that research group | Does not count every player or every diagnosis across all leagues |
| ALS death count | People whose deaths were attributed to ALS | Studying mortality or causes of death | Does not include all living people diagnosed with ALS |
| All-level football estimate | Potentially players from professional, college, school, and recreational football | Understanding the broad question across the sport | Hard to verify without a defined population and consistent records |
A fair headline or summary should say whether it is discussing a research cohort, a public list, or deaths. If it offers one exact total without describing its sources and boundaries, be cautious. A precise-looking number is not automatically a complete or medically verified count.
What ALS is, and why the distinction matters
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a progressive disease that damages nerve cells involved in controlling voluntary muscles. As those cells stop working, a person may develop muscle weakness, difficulty speaking or swallowing, or problems breathing. The pattern and pace of symptoms vary from person to person.
ALS is sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease in the United States, after the famous baseball player. The name does not mean the condition is limited to athletes, and it does not imply a particular cause. ALS can affect people with many backgrounds and occupations.
Most ALS cases are considered sporadic, meaning there is no known inherited cause identified in the person’s family history. A smaller share is familial, meaning the disease runs in a family and may be linked to inherited gene changes. A person’s sport history alone cannot determine which type they have or explain why they developed ALS.
This distinction matters when discussing football because several former players with ALS do not, by themselves, show that the sport caused the disease. Researchers can investigate possible connections at a group level, but an individual diagnosis needs medical evaluation and cannot be explained by a news headline or a list of former athletes.
Does playing football cause ALS?
Current evidence does not prove that playing football causes ALS. Research has reported an increased rate of ALS mortality in a particular group of former NFL players, but an association is not proof of direct cause and effect. The findings support further study; they do not establish that every football player faces a higher risk or that a specific injury caused a specific diagnosis.
Researchers have considered several possible factors in sports and ALS research, including repeated head impacts, other physical trauma, and exposure to certain environmental or occupational factors. These remain areas of investigation, not settled explanations for ALS among football players. It would be inaccurate to present any one of them as the proven cause.
Individual cases are especially difficult to explain. ALS has multiple forms, and the disease can develop through different biological pathways. A former player may have played at a high level for years, but that history alone cannot show whether football contributed to the disease.
What many readers get wrong: a higher rate in a research group does not mean that a large share of players will develop ALS. Relative comparisons describe how one group’s rate compares with another’s; they do not state an individual’s personal likelihood. The study’s finding also should not be stretched to cover people or leagues it did not examine.
Why a complete count is difficult to produce
A reliable total would need a clear definition of who counts as a football player and a consistent way to confirm diagnoses. It would also need a defined time period and a system for distinguishing ALS diagnoses from ALS deaths. Those requirements are not met by simply collecting names from news coverage.
Privacy is another important reason no public list can be assumed complete. A person’s medical history is private, and players are not required to announce a diagnosis. Respecting that privacy means avoiding assumptions about anyone who has not publicly confirmed a condition.
Historical records add another challenge. Players from older generations may have died before modern diagnostic methods were widely available, or their medical cause of death may not have been described in a way that can be compared with current records. Differences in record-keeping make long-term comparisons harder.
Finally, a registry of people with ALS would need to record sports participation in a consistent way. Someone may have played in several leagues, at multiple levels, or only briefly. Without an agreed definition of exposure, two lists can count different populations and both still be accurate within their own limits.
How to check a claim about a player or a total
If you are checking a specific report, use a few practical steps before repeating its number:
- Find the original source. Look for the study, official statement, or direct public announcement behind the claim rather than relying only on a headline or social post.
- Check the population. Confirm whether the claim refers to NFL players, all professional players, or football players at every level.
- Check what is counted. A total of diagnoses is not interchangeable with a total of deaths, and a study cohort is not a complete public list.
- Look at the dates. A list assembled years ago may not include later public diagnoses, while a newer list may use different criteria.
- Separate association from cause. Research showing a difference between groups does not necessarily explain the cause of an individual’s ALS.
These checks are useful beyond football. They help you tell the difference between a documented case, an estimate, and a broad claim that has not been supported by a clear method.
What the number means for current and former players
The lack of a complete count does not make the reported diagnoses unimportant. Each public case concerns a person living with a serious disease, and the stories can raise awareness and support research. But individual stories and scientific evidence serve different purposes: stories show what people experience, while carefully designed studies investigate patterns across groups.
For current players, a reported ALS count should not be treated as a personal risk calculator. It cannot predict whether one player will develop the disease, and it does not justify diagnosing ALS from a symptom or a sports history. Persistent or concerning symptoms should be assessed by a qualified clinician, who can consider many possible causes and appropriate tests.
For families, a history of ALS or questions about inherited risk are best discussed with a medical professional. A clinician can review family history and explain whether specialist evaluation or genetic counseling may be appropriate. Public lists of athletes are not a substitute for personal medical advice.
For readers following the research, the strongest interpretation is measured: some research has found elevated ALS mortality in a defined group of former NFL players, while a complete count of diagnosed football players remains unavailable. Further research and better, consistently defined records would be needed to answer the broader question with greater confidence.
There is no verified total for every football player who has had ALS. Public reports include dozens of former players, and a frequently cited NFL study found elevated ALS mortality in one defined group, but neither provides a complete count across the sport.
When you see a number, check which players and years it covers and whether it counts diagnoses or deaths. That simple check helps you avoid treating a partial list as a definitive total—or an association as proof that football caused ALS.