NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk reveals Parkinson's diagnosis

Marshall Faulk is a legendary NFL running back. He's also the current head football coach at Southern University, which is part of the SWAC. The Jaguars are 3-4 and coming off a big win over Prairie View, but Faulk is in the news for another reason.

Faulk revealed in a recent interview with Dr. Sandeep Thakkar that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

The former Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams star said he noticed a tremor in his hands while golfing and that led him to undergo testing for the disease.

Faulk is 53, and the condition is life-altering, but he does seem to be taking it in stride.

“I didn’t look at it like if I got a diagnosis, it was something bad, that life was going to end,” Faulk told Thakkar (h/t On3). “I treat it like, I’ve had a bunch of surgeries on my right knee, there’s some parts in it that aren’t mine, that aren’t original. My back, it hurts every once in a while. It’s something you live with. It’s not to where it’s a detriment to your livelihood. Now, if you don’t take care of it, there’s an opportunity for that to be. You have to take care of it.”

Marshall Faulk is a legendary NFL running back 

Faulk is in his first season as the head coach at Southern. He was the running backs coach under Deion Sanders with the Colorado Buffaloes in 2025, and that opened up this opportunity for him.

It was his playing career that really opened plenty of doors for Faulk, though. He ran for 12,279 yards and 100 touchdowns in 12 seasons for the Colts and Rams. That's not to mention the 6,875 yards and 36 touchdowns as a receiver.

Faulk really could do it all, and he was named the league's MVP in 2000 while with the Rams. He was also part of the "Greatest Show on Turf" St. Louis team that won Super Bowl XXXIV.

Faulk is easily considered one of the top running backs in NFL history. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, made seven Pro Bowls, was a three-time first-team All-Pro and a three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Few in NFL history are as decorated as Faulk, and though he is taking the diagnosis with a positive attitude, this is certainly tough news.

Neurodegenerative diseases are a widely known risk of long NFL playing careers. Former players from Faulk's era of football who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's recently include Brett Favre and Ahman Green.