SAN ANTONIO – Former NFL quarterback Tommy Kramer, who attended Robert E. Lee High School and Rice University, announced his recent dementia diagnosis on Wednesday.
Kramer said he decided to go public with his diagnosis after former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced his own recent Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
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“I feel it’s best I let everyone know that I was diagnosed with dementia just over a year ago at the NFL (sic) Cleveland Clinic,” Kramer said, in part, in his post on X. “Dr’s (Doctors) say I could have anywhere from 2 to 10 years, just had my year check up and it hasn’t advanced and I’ve been sober for almost a year now which will definitely help.”
With Brett Favre announcement yesterday, I feel it’s best I let everyone know that I was diagnosed with dementia just over a year ago at the NFL Cleveland Clinic.
— Tommy Kramer (@Kramer9Tommy) September 25, 2024
Dr’s say I could have anywhere from 2 to 10 years, just had my year check up and it hasn’t advanced and I’ve been…
Kramer, 69, was born in San Antonio and attended Robert E. Lee High School. He led the Lee Volunteers to the Texas State Championship in 1971 when the Volunteers defeated Wichita Falls 28-27.
In 1972, Kramer led Lee to the state semifinals and was later named Texas State Player of the Year.
He played for Rice University and set several school and NCAA records during his four years with the Owls. He was named MVP in both the Blue-Gray and Senior Bowl games before turning professional.
Kramer was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round (27th overall) in the 1977 NFL Draft. He played 13 seasons with the Vikings before he joined the New Orleans Saints for one season in 1990 before calling it a career.
He was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
“Please, no sympathy,” Kramer said in his post. “I’ve lived a great life and wouldn’t change a thing. Nobody wanted to win more than me and I never gave up, and that’s exactly how I’m going to battle this.”
The College Football Hall of Fame quarterback thanked his fans for their support and ended his social media post by saying, “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time.”