ALS has taken its toll on some beloved Alabama stars of the 80s and 90s, most recently on Kerry Goode and the recently-departed Kevin Turner. It is bittersweet that the very memories that brought us joy over the years are also moments which very likely bear some responsibility for the idiopathic injuries that resulted in their ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or “Lou Gherig’s”). Researchers have uncovered a common link in the mechanism between the two, and 4-6% of the clinical football population shows unmistakable signs of ALS, including in Turner.
Now, Kerry Goode, facing declining health, is undergoing the next step of his treatment, which includes a tracheotomy.