Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre announced during a congressional hearing Tuesday that he had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative nervous system disorder that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate and affects movement.

Favre spoke before the House Ways and Means Committee about Prevacus, a company that makes a concussion drug that received $2 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. Favre was the largest investor in Prevacus, and text messages show that he began asking state officials for help securing funding for the company in November 2018.

“Unfortunately, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough drug for concussions that I thought would help others,” Favre said during his opening remarks. “And I’m sure you can understand why it’s too late for me, because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. This is also a cause that is close to my heart.”

Prevacus founder Jacob VanLandingham pleaded guilty to fraud in July, admitting he used Mississippi Social Security funds to pay off gambling and other debts.

Favre spoke about his involvement in a massive welfare scandal in Mississippi. At least $77 million in TANF funds meant for poor families were diverted to the rich and powerful, according to a 2019 Mississippi state audit.

When asked in a 2018 interview how many concussions he’d suffered, the 54-year-old Favre said he only knew of “three or four,” but he believes he’s suffered more than 1,000 concussions during his 20-season NFL career.

“If you’re having ringing in your ears, seeing stars, that’s a concussion,” Favre told the “Today” show. “And if that’s a concussion, I’ve had hundreds, maybe thousands of them in my career, and it’s scary.”