Hall of Fame running back and Southern University football coach Marshall Faulk revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and hopes early detection will give him a chance “to live a better quality of life.”
The 53-year-old made the announcement Wednesday on “The Caring Neurologist” podcast, telling host Dr. Sandeep Thakkar that he hopes others will watch for early symptoms themselves.
“What you want to do with that information is pass it on to the next generation to make sure they have it better and know more,” Faulk said. “And you make this world better than it was, you know, when I got here.”
This progressive nervous system disorder affects more than a million Americans.
Faulk said he has been living with the condition for about 18 months and has experienced some stiffness in his hands and tremors.
“I think I figured it out early and I’m in a good position,” the football icon said. “I didn’t look at it like I was diagnosed, it was something bad, you know, life was going to end. Now if you don’t take care of it, there’s an opportunity for that to happen, but you have to take care of it.”
The coach is optimistic that medications can, at least in the immediate future, stave off the most severe symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
“The earlier you catch it, the more likely you are to live a better quality of life on the medications than if you catch it later, so you, the things that you start to have, the things that you go through, it makes life a little more difficult,” he said.
Faulk said he was inspired by meeting Muhammad Ali in the boxer’s final years as the champion battled Parkinson’s disease.
“I sat down next to him and he leaned over and he whispered, ‘You’re a bad boy,'” Faulk fondly remembers his dinner with Ali. “And then he made a few other comments. I was like, ‘He’s all here.'”
Faulk played 12 years in the NFL, seven for the St. Louis Rams and five for the Indianapolis Colts. He totaled 12,279 rushing yards, 13th most in league history.
But it’s Faulk’s ability to catch the ball that has made him one of the most dangerous weapons in the game. His 19,514 total yards from scrimmage rank 5th all-time.
Faulk and his “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams won the 2000 Super Bowl.
The No. 2 overall pick in 1994 out of San Diego State was inducted into Canton in 2011.
He is in his first season as head coach of Southern and the Jaguars are 3-4. Southern plays Saturday against Texas Southern at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
Representatives for Southern were able to immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News on Friday.
Faulk said he has yet to experience any cognitive issues. Parkinson’s disease can cause problems sleeping, memory, problem solving, and other brain-related problems.
“My brain is fine,” the coach said. “I feel free from my thoughts and I guess that’s a good thing.”
Faulk said he is aware of the difficulties that may arise in his future and is already taking steps to organize his thoughts more clearly.
“Life has been, I mean, normal,” the Hall of Fame running back said. “I take better notes, I’m more concise when I do interviews.”
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