Former Kentucky and Baylor head coach Guy Morriss revealed he is battling Alzheimer's disease, WKYT-TV in Lexington reported.
Morriss, who also played 15 NFL seasons as an offensive lineman, said he was diagnosed last fall. He said he was having trouble doing minor tasks.
"At first I couldn't write my name," Morriss told WKYT. "I would not write my name. I didn't know my ABCs. I couldn't do that little rhyme."
Morriss, 66, said there has been progress -- "Dressing myself is a win for me. Tying my shoes is a win for me," he said.
Dr. Greg Jicha, who is treating Morriss, told WKYT that it is possible Morriss' long NFL career -- he played in 217 regular-season games with the Philadelphia Eagles (11 seasons) and New England Patriots (four) from 1973-87 -- is a factor.
"We know that many NFL players and folks who have engaged in careers where repetitive head injury, even mild head injury, can leave them predisposed to a variety of conditions," Jicha said.
Morriss compiled a 27-54 record in seven seasons as a college head coach. He went 9-14 as Kentucky's coach in 2001-02, and 18-40 in five seasons at Baylor before being fired after the 2007 campaign.
