BATON ROUGE, La. — Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, in his first season as head football coach at Southern University, has disclosed that he is living with Parkinson’s disease.
Faulk, 53, revealed the diagnosis as a guest on The Caring Neurologist, a podcast hosted by Dr. Sandeep Thakkar. The disease gradually worsens over time and attacks the nerve pathways that control movement.
The former running back said the first warning signs showed up on the golf course. He initially chalked up a shaky feeling while putting to nerves, but it kept happening even in casual rounds, and a doctor urged him to get checked.
Faulk said medication has kept his symptoms in check and that he has had few problems since starting treatment. He said the news did not strike him as a sentence to a lesser life, provided the condition is treated, and he urged others to watch for symptoms and seek medical advice early.
He also encouraged people to look beyond the resources in their own communities for testing and care, noting that help does not always require a lot of money.
On the field, Southern sits at 3-4, including a 1-2 mark against Southwestern Athletic Conference foes. Southern travels to Houston this weekend to face Texas Southern.
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