Tony Dorsett, former running back for the National Football League's (NFL) Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos is in a new battle, as he takes on the degenerative brain disorder he has been diagnosed with.

Dorsett says that he now forgets directions and suffers several mood swings. However, that has not deterred him from his new goal of conquering his brain disorder.

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In an exclusive interview with NBC News' Lester Holt, Dorsett recounts that the ordeal is a frustrating one. Though the road is hard and long, Dorsett knows that he can conquer it. It will only take time.

In November 2013, Dorsett was diagnosed with signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The disorder is suspected of causing depression and dementia. It has also been linked previously to repeated head trauma that is common in the NFL.

At 60 years old, Dorsett said that he wanted to come out and be personal on the matter, so that children can go about the right protocol for checking if they have suffered any severe head trauma.

He said that his fighting spirit comes from his competitive streak in sports.

He said that his goal is to "beat this, to reverse it, to stop it, to do whatever I can to not let it continue on and make my life miserable."

His priorities are set and focused on his upcoming fight. He isn't even worried about his legacy being overshadowed by the ordeal.

For Dorsett, people understand that all sports have injuries that accompany them. The CTE is just one of them.

Dorsett's wife, Janet, pointed out that brain trauma is not just an injury that is linked with football. All children who play sports can sustain head injuries.

Coming out in public and speaking about his condition is Dorsett's way of making sure parents and children take care of their heads and brains. 

TagsTony Dorsett, NFL legend, degenerative disease, brain disease, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Chronic traumatic encephalopathy