NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk reveals Parkinson's diagnosis

Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Faulk, 53, who is now the head coach at Southern University, revealed the diagnosis publicly this week.

He shared the news during an appearance Wednesday on the podcast "The Caring Neurologist," hosted by Dr. Sandeep Thakkar. Faulk said he decided to speak out because, "I want to help as many people as I can."

Faulk said that with medication, he is not experiencing problems beyond hand rigidity and "little tremors." He added that the rigidity has not worsened in the year and a half since he began dealing with the disease, and that he has experienced no cognitive decline — he feels "clear of thought."

He first noticed something was wrong during his twice-yearly physicals and while playing golf, when he experienced rigidity he initially dismissed as normal nerves while putting.

Faulk played more than 10 NFL seasons, first with the Indianapolis Colts and then with the St. Louis Rams, where he won a Super Bowl and was named the league's Most Valuable Player. He retired in 2007 after major knee surgery and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame four years later, in his first year of eligibility.

Before taking the Southern job last November, Faulk was an assistant on Deion Sanders' staff at Colorado. He was a standout running back in college at San Diego State, where he was a two-time All-American.