Former Rams star running back Marshall Faulk, a Super Bowl champion and the 2000 NFL MVP, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and says he is in a good place after catching it early.
The 53-year-old Hall of Famer disclosed the diagnosis on the “Caring Neurologist” podcast with Dr. Sandeep Thakkar. He has managed the progressive central nervous system disorder for about 18 months after first noticing hand rigidity while golfing.
“I was like, ‘Wow, is that something?’” Faulk said. “‘Is that normal?’ And the doctor was— he literally was like, ‘You need to go get checked.’”
Faulk views the early diagnosis as fortunate and compares managing the condition to dealing with injuries during his playing career. Proper treatment, he said, has allowed him to stay active without major disruption.
He reports sleeping more and remaining more active since treatment began. Hand rigidity and minor tremors persist, but the condition has not progressed.
Marshall Faulk Speaks on Living With the Diagnosis
“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 is encouraging others to seek evaluation at the first sign of symptoms. He has not yet told family or friends about the diagnosis and plans to do so only if his daily routine changes significantly.
“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.”
An estimated 1.1 million people in the United States currently live with Parkinson’s disease, with nearly 90,000 new cases diagnosed annually, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Men are about 1.5 times more likely than women to develop the condition.
Remembering Marshall Faulk’s Rams Career Highlights
Faulk arrived in St. Louis via trade in 1999 and immediately elevated the Rams’ offense. That season he became the second player in NFL history to post 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same year while helping the team win Super Bowl XXXIV.
In 2000 he earned league MVP honors after leading the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns and averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He helped the Rams return to the Super Bowl the following season and finished his career with 12,279 rushing yards, 6,875 receiving yards, 100 rushing touchdowns and 136 total touchdowns.
He remains one of only three players, along with Marcus Allen and Tiki Barber, with at least 10,000 career rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards. A seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Faulk entered the Hall of Fame in 2011 after retiring following the 2005 season.
Faulk currently serves as head coach at Southern University after previously working as running backs coach at Colorado under Deion Sanders. Southern named him to the position on Dec. 1, 2025.
A 2026 study of nearly 20,000 NFL players found neurodegenerative mortality nearly four times higher than the general population, with a standardized mortality ratio of 3.88 specifically for Parkinson’s disease. Players with longer careers faced elevated risk.
Faulk continues coaching while stressing the value of early medical attention for anyone noticing unusual symptoms.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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