*Marshall Faulk is fighting Parkinson’s disease, but the Pro Football Hall of Famer insists he is doing well.
“I’m functioning. I’m good. You know, I just I think I caught it early. I’m in a good place,” Faulk said.
The 53-year-old Southern University head coach opened up on the “Caring Neurologist” podcast hosted by Dr. Sandeep Thakkar. Faulk has been living with the neurological condition, which impacts movement, for about 18 months, The Advocate reports.
He says his routine has barely shifted since he began treatment. He works out more often and gets more rest than he did before. Some stiffness lingers in his hands, yet his condition has held steady.
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“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 approaches his care with an athlete’s mindset. He likens it to bouncing back from the injuries he played through as a pro.
So far, he has kept the conversation private, even at home. Faulk has not yet sat down with family members or friends to talk about it. “If it comes a time to where my lifestyle changes, then I will,” he said. “Then that conversation could be had.”
His diagnosis began with a round of golf. Faulk noticed something off with one of his hands and raised it during an annual physical. “I was like, ‘Wow, is that something?'” he recalled, adding, “‘Is that normal?'”
The response from his doctor was simple. “You need to go get checked,” Faulk said he was told.
Now he wants others to follow that same advice. Faulk hopes sharing his journey will encourage anyone with unusual symptoms to seek medical help quickly.
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