NFL legend Marshall Faulk is speaking out about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis — and shedding light on the first symptoms he experienced before speaking to his doctor.
“The little tremors that I get, you know, they are what they are,” he shared on the Wednesday, October 21, episode of the “Caring Neurologist” podcast. “I just pay attention to my gait, you know, while I walk, when I’m working out, my ability to balance. It’s still where it is.”
The three-time former NFL Offensive Player of the Year confirmed to host Dr. Sandeep Thakkar that he has been dealing with Parkinson’s disease for 18 months.
Parkinson’s is a movement disorder of the nervous system that can cause slowed muscle reactions, tremors, poor balance, speech difficulty and emotional changes, per the Mayo Clinic.
During his podcast interview, Faulk recalled finding out he had Parkinson’s disease after expressing concern to his doctor about discomfort in his hand while golfing.
“It started to be times where … I was playing but I wasn’t in a match, and it would still [cramp]. I was like, ‘Wow, is that something?’ Is that normal?’ And the doctor was— he literally was like, ‘You need to go get checked,'” he remembered.
The former St. Louis Rams running back revealed that he’s yet to talk to his family about his health journey.
“I haven’t really had the conversation [with my family] about it,” Faulk, 53, said on the “Caring Neurologist” podcast. “It’s not something I feel [has held me back].”
He added, “If it comes a time where my lifestyle changes, then I will [speak to them]. That conversation can be had. I’m functioning. I’m good. I caught it early. I’m in a good place.”
The medication that Faulk was prescribed has helped him rebound physically to the point where he is “actually doing more” than before his diagnosis. He noted that he has not experienced any cognitive issues, describing himself as “clear of thought.”
“Since I’ve started on the medication, I don’t really have a lot of issues. I might sleep a little more,” he said. “One of the things [the doctor] said is … you might lose sleep. The medication has helped me with sleep.”
Faulk spent 12 seasons in the NFL, playing first for the Indianapolis Colts from 1994 to 1998 and later for the Rams from 1999 until 2005. Lingering injuries kept Faulk off the gridiron for nearly two years before he announced his retirement in 2007.
The New Orleans native is a former Super Bowl champion and was voted the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2000. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2011 and later selected for the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Following his retirement, Faulk worked as an analyst for the NFL Network and served as Deion Sanders‘ running back coach at the University of Colorado Boulder for a season in 2025. He landed his own head coaching job with the Southern University Jaguars in November 2025.
