Browns legend Bernie Kosar maintaining ‘positive energy’ despite liver failure, early stages of Parkinson’s

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, a one-time Pro Bowler (1987) and Cleveland fan favorite after nine seasons with the Browns from 1985-1993, is battling an uphill climb against both liver failure and Parkinson’s disease at the age of 60.

He revealed the news about his liver in an exclusive with “Cleveland Magazine” saying, “My body gave out on me.”

Kosar hoped to recover on his own, but after he went to the hospital early in 2024, they were shocked he was still walking around. 

“I sucked it up, though, and continued to avoid the doctors until the new year. Then I went into the hospital and got a massive blood transfusion. It was like: ‘How are you alive? How are you moving? Because your hemoglobin levels are so low.”’

Symptoms of liver disease have led to Kosar needing blood transfusions and getting fluids suctioned out of his body. 

“I wish you could have seen me three months ago,” Kosar said. “Actually, maybe not, because I looked like death. I felt like death. E. Coli blood poisoning. Heart trouble. And I really thought I needed the liver transplant ASAP. I was in bad shape.”  

Fortunately for the retired quarterback, his body has begun to recover organically following exercise, supplements, healthy eating and taking prescription medications. One of his doctors, Dr. Michael Roizen — the Cleveland Clinc’s chief wellness officer — did say there is just over a 90% chance he’ll eventually need a new liver. 

“I have an incredibly specific regimen of juicing, black coffee and smart supplementation,” Kosar said. “Digestive enzymes are part of it. Intermittent fasting. Basically, I’m using food as medicine and avoiding the processed foods, the foods with inflammatory properties. It’s amazing that you can feel as good as I do despite all this stuff going on. I can see that what I’m doing is making a difference. I strongly believe it will continue. Time will tell.”

Kosar continues to maintain hope that he can beat the odds, and maintain a decent quality of life for years to come. 

“I strongly believe in the power of positive thinking. For me, it’s not just a slogan. I believe that positive energy can be manifested in our brains, and I love to live in the space of positivity. I want to think about things that are helpful. It sounds like I’m getting on a soap box here, but I visualize good health. It’s not so much that I’m trying to sell it to myself, or that I’m in denial, as it is choosing to be positive. Because everybody’s got something. We’ve all got health issues to some degree, we all have bumps in the road.”