Marshall Faulk, an NFL legend and the coach at Southern University, revealed that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive disorder of the central nervous system affecting the body's movement. Faulk, 53, said that he has been dealing with the disease for about 18 months. He first realized that something was wrong when he was having issues with his hand while playing golf.
He mentioned the issue to his doctor during a routine physical. "I was like, 'Wow, is that something?'" Faulk said on an episode of "Caring Neurologist" with Dr. "'Is that normal?' And the doctor was— he literally was like, 'You need to go get checked.'" Faulk is in good spirits and considers himself lucky because he got the diagnosis early.
He said that it can be managed through treatment while comparing it to recovering from injuries during his NFL career. Since getting treatment, Faulk said that he has become more active, is sleeping more and that his life is relatively the same. He said that while he still experiences rigidity in his hands, the condition has not gotten worse.
"The little tremors that I get, you know, they are what they are," he said. "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." Faulk wants to advocate for people to seek help if they experience symptoms.
Surprisingly, he said that he had not had a conversation about his diagnosis with his family or friends. "If it comes a time to where my lifestyle changes, then I will," he said. "Then that conversation could be had.
You know, I just I think I caught it early. I'm in a good place." Faulk was named Southern's coach on Dec. 1, 2025. He previously served as Deion Sanders' running backs coach at Colorado.
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