Marshall Faulk, an NFL legend and the coach at Southern University, revealed that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive disorder of the central nervous system affecting the body's movement. Faulk, 53, said that he has been dealing with the disease for about 18 months. He first realized that something was wrong when he was having issues with his hand while playing golf. He mentioned the issue to his doctor during a routine physical.
"I was like, 'Wow, is that something?'" Faulk said on an episode of "Caring Neurologist" with Dr. Sandeep Thakkar. "'Is that normal?' And the doctor was— he literally was like, 'You need to go get checked.'"
Faulk is in good spirits and considers himself lucky because he got the diagnosis early. He said that it can be managed through treatment while comparing it to recovering from injuries during his NFL career.
Since getting treatment, Faulk said that he has become more active, is sleeping more and that his life is relatively the same. He said that while he still experiences rigidity in his hands, the condition has not gotten worse.
"The little tremors that I get, you know, they are what they are," he said. "I just pay attention to my gait, you know, while I walk, when I'm working out, my ability to balance. It's still where it is."
Faulk wants to advocate for people to seek help if they experience symptoms. Surprisingly, he said that he had not had a conversation about his diagnosis with his family or friends.
"If it comes a time to where my lifestyle changes, then I will," he said. "Then that conversation could be had. I'm functioning. I'm good. You know, I just I think I caught it early. I'm in a good place."
Faulk was named Southern's coach on Dec. 1, 2025. He previously served as Deion Sanders' running backs coach at Colorado.
A 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Faulk is widely considered one of the greatest running backs of all time. At San Diego State, he led the FBS in rushing three straight years. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1992 and was fourth in the voting in 1993.
Faulk was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. He earned two Pro Bowls with the Colts before entering another stratosphere after he was traded to the Rams in 1999. That season, Faulk helped the Rams win the Super Bowl while becoming the second player to post 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.
Faulk won league MVP in 2000 after he led the NFL in touchdown runs (18) and yards-per-carry average (5.4). He helped the Rams get back to the Super Bowl in 2001.
A seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Faulk retired after the 2005 season with 12,279 rushing yards, 6,875 receiving yards, 100 rushing touchdowns and 136 total touchdowns. He, Marcus Allen and Tiki Barber are the only players in NFL history with 10,000 rushing and 5,000 career receiving yards.
