BATON ROUGE, La. — Former San Diego State football star and current Southern University coach Marshall Faulk has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Faulk revealed his diagnosis on the podcast “The Caring Neurologist” on Wednesday, telling the host, “I want to help as many people as I can.”
The 53-year-old Faulk said he was not experiencing “issues” beyond hand rigidity and a few tremors, thanks to medication. He doesn’t believe the symptoms have gotten worse in the 18 months he’s been dealing with the disease.
He was selected second overall in the 1994 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts after three All-American seasons at San Diego State. Faulk burst on the college football scene as a true freshman in a 1991 game against Pacific when he rushed for an NCAA-record 386 yards and seven touchdowns. He led the NCAA in rushing in both 1991 and 1992, finishing runner-up to Miami quarterback Gino Torretta for the Heisman Trophy his sophomore year.
Faulk went into the Aztecs Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2017, he became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, joining three other members from SDSU — former head coach Don Coryell (inducted in 1999), defensive end Fred Dryer (1997) and guard/linebacker George Brown (1985).
Faulk is in his first season as Southern’s coach after serving as running backs coach at Colorado. He played 12 NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.