Marshall Faulk Opens Up About The Health Battle He Has Kept Private For 18 Months

Marshall Faulk opens up about his health journey© Image via: X/@NFL_DovKleiman

A stiff hand on a golf course. Most of us would shrug it off as nerves. Marshall Faulk almost did too. The Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, who once dazzled for the St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts, now knows that small sign pointed to something bigger. Faulk, 53, revealed this week that he has Parkinson's disease. He shared the news on the Caring Neurologist podcast, hosted by Dr. Sandeep Thakkar, and spoke with a calm that surprised many fans. He has lived with the diagnosis for about a year and a half.

Marshall Faulk Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis Started With A Stiff Hand On The Golf Course

Marshall Faulk calls himself careful about his health and sees a doctor twice a year. That habit paid off. He felt rigidity in his hand after long rounds of golf and blamed it on putting nerves. Then it showed up when he wasn't even in a match.

Marshall Faulk opens up about the moment he first noticed signs of Parkinson's disease. Sending love and support to the NFL legend. : tophealthco YT https://t.co/KxhWDm23Mk

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) October 23, 2026

He raised it at his next checkup, and his doctor sent him for tests. That early catch matters. Parkinson's often starts with small changes like stiffness, a light tremor or slower movement. None of these prove anything alone, but a doctor can sort out the cause. Faulk's story is a good reminder to speak up early.

How Marshall Faulk Is Living With Parkinson's Disease While Coaching Southern University

Medication has kept his symptoms steady. He still has the hand rigidity and small tremors, but he says they haven't worsened. He sleeps a little more, and he watches his walk and balance during workouts.

His outlook is the real headline. "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."

A meeting with Muhammad Ali gave him extra comfort. Faulk recalled it this way: "I was at one of his dinners at fight night and I sat next to him. He leaned over to me and he whispered, 'You a bad boy.' And then he made a couple other comments. I was like, 'He's all there.' So knowing that, I didn't look at it like life is going to end."

Faulk now serves as head coach at Southern University, where the team is 1-3 in his first season. Last year he worked as the running backs coach at Colorado. He remains the only player in NFL history with more than 12,000 rushing yards and 6,000 receiving yards.

He is not alone in this fight. Brett Favre, Ahman Green and Bernie Kosar also live with Parkinson's. A study earlier this year found NFL players face a Parkinson's mortality risk nearly four times higher than the average person.

For Faulk, the plan is simple. Take care of it, and keep going.