Marshall Faulk, 53, Reveals Parkinson's Diagnosis — SkimNews
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- Marshall Faulk, 53, revealed his Parkinson's disease diagnosis on the podcast "The Caring Neurologist" with Dr. Sandeep Thakkar, saying he wants "to help as many people as I can" by discussing it publicly.
- Faulk said his symptoms are limited to hand rigidity—first noticed after playing golf about 1.5 years ago—and "little tremors," and that medication is keeping the disease managed.
- Faulk played more than 10 NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams, winning a Super Bowl and MVP with the Rams before retiring in 2007 following major knee surgery; he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 in his first year of eligibility.
- Faulk left an assistant role on Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff to become head coach at Southern University last November, where he has led the team to a 3-4 record this season.
- Faulk does not view Parkinson's as a terminal condition, drawing inspiration from Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox, and said he has experienced no cognitive decline and feels "clear of thought."
- Faulk was a two-time All-American running back at San Diego State before his NFL career.
Why it matters: Faulk becomes the latest high-profile athlete to go public with Parkinson's, joining a list that includes Muhammad Ali, and he is doing so while still actively coaching—a 3-4 record at Southern this season—rather than stepping away. By announcing at 53 with mild symptoms, emphasizing clarity of thought, and explicitly tying his disclosure to helping others, Faulk is positioning the diagnosis as livable and potentially shifting how retired contact-sport athletes view early neurological screening.
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