Ex-Lions president Millen battling rare disease, could require heart transplant

Former Detroit Lions team president Matt Millen is suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease that could force him to seek a heart transplant.

Millen told The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa. that his heart is currently working at about 30 percent of capacity, and has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments once a week for the past eight months.

Amyloidosis occurs when amyloid, an abnormal protein, builds up in bone marrow and ends up in tissue or organs. As the disease progresses, the amyloid can alter the healthy tissue it is near, resulting in organ failure.

Despite his diagnosis, the former NFL executive intends on staying positive throughout his treatment.

"I've always lived this way (positively)," Millen told the newspaper. "You take what you get. I look over my life, and it's been a storybook. I have an awesome family, a phenomenal wife, and you can't ask for more."

Millen was a four-time Super Bowl champion with the Oakland Raiders (twice), San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins. After retiring, he was hired as a color commentator on NFL games before the Lions hired him in 2001 as the team's president and general manager. He held the role for over seven seasons before being fired in 2008.