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Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk has revealed that he is living with Parkinson's disease. The 53-year-old shared his diagnosis on "The Caring Neurologist" podcast, explaining that he has been experiencing symptoms like hand rigidity and small tremors for the past 18 months. Faulk, who is currently the head football coach at Southern University in Louisiana, said he has been able to manage the symptoms with medication.
Faulk noticed the symptoms while playing golf and consulted his doctor, who advised him to get checked. "I get a physical twice a year," Faulk said. "I literally asked my doctor because I noticed it as I was playing golf. I noticed the rigidity in my hand after I play a lot or practice a lot." He emphasized the importance of early treatment and mentioned that his medications have helped keep the symptoms in check.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive brain disorder known for causing tremors, and there is currently no cure. Faulk expressed a positive outlook, saying, "I don't look at it as something that's terminal. It's like 'Hey, you get to live with this.' There's far worse things out there." He also recalled meeting boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who also had Parkinson's, and was inspired by Ali's resilience.
Faulk's football career spanned over a decade with the Indianapolis Colts and the then-St. Louis Rams. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, the 2000 NFL MVP, and a Super Bowl XXXIV champion. Faulk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He began his coaching career as the running backs coach at Colorado before taking the head coaching position at Southern University.
Yahoo Sports reports that Faulk hopes to help others by sharing his experience with the disease. He joins other former NFL players like Brett Favre, Ahman Green, and Bernie Kosar who are also living with Parkinson's.