Marshall Faulk discusses Parkinson's diagnosis and urges attention to health

Marshall Faulk has publicly discussed living with Parkinson's disease. The Hall of Fame running back, now Southern University's head football coach, spoke about the diagnosis on The Caring Neurologist podcast with Dr. Sandeep Thakkar in an interview released Wednesday, October 21.

Faulk, 53, said he had been dealing with the condition for about a year and a half, Yahoo Sports reported Thursday. He described noticing stiffness in his hand while golfing, raising it with his doctor and being referred for further evaluation. He said medication had helped him manage his symptoms.

In a separate statement carried by WAFB, Faulk encouraged former teammates, athletes and other men to make time for medical appointments and ask about changes in their health. He framed speaking publicly as an opportunity to help others seek care. The statement did not announce a change in his coaching duties; Southern's current staff directory lists him as head coach.

A football career, and a life beyond it

His football career offers the familiar context. Indianapolis selected him second overall in 1994. After five seasons with the Colts, he joined St. Louis and helped the Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV. In that 1999 season, he exceeded 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving. He was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2000 and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Now coaching another generation, Faulk is asking people accustomed to pushing through discomfort to make room for medical care. His public comments do not establish a prognosis or the cause of his diagnosis. They do explain why he chose to speak: he wants others to get their own health concerns checked.