Athletes - Marshall Faulk

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	Athletes - Marshall Faulk

Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American football player in the National Football League. He was drafted 2nd overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 out of San Diego State University (SDSU). He was traded to the St. Louis Rams before the 1999 season.

College career

Marshall Faulk was a stand out back at San Diego State University, compared to Gale Sayers, Roger Craig and Thurman Thomas with his ability to rush and receive. In one of the most prolific performances of his entire career, he ran all over University of the Pacific in just his second collegiate start. In 37 carries, he racked up 386 yards and scored seven touchdowns, both NCAA records for freshmen, and built on this perfomace throughout the year, compiling one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA history, gaining 1,429 yards rushing, with 23 total TD's (21 rushing), and 140 points scored. Although in the next two seasons, he would not replicate the success of his freshmen year, he showed in final season he was still an all-purpose back, catching 47 passes for 640 yards, which aided him in ranking 3rd in all-purpose yardage that year, in addition to finishing 2nd in scoring. Faulk left San Diego State University with many of the school's offensive records bearing his name, amongst them an astounding 62 TD's, which is also the 2nd most in NCAA history.

Professional career

Faulk was drafted 2nd overall in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, who were in desperate need of a running game. Faulk responded by rushing for 1,282 yards and 11 touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown. The Colts improved to 8-8. The next season Faulk rushed for 1,078 yards and 14 total TDs. The Colts made the post-season, going 9-7, and narrowly missed the Super Bowl after a close loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

Unfortunately, the next year was a miserable one for Faulk. Because of a toe injury he suffered earlier in the season, he only rushed for 587 yards, with a paltry 3yds-per-carry average. Fortunately, he recovered from the injury and rushed for 1,000+ yards in each of the next two seasons, setting a new personal high with 1,319 in 1998. He also caught 86 passes for 906 yards that year and was the NFL's leader in total yards from scrimmage with an astounding 2,227, beating out Denver's MVP running back Terrell Davis by 2 yards, and he finishing 4th in the league in receptions. It would also be the first of an NFL-record 4 consecutive 2,000+ total-yard seasons.

Faulk was shipped to St. Louis the following season due to problems he referred to as "misunderstandings", as Faulk had missed practices and was considered holding out for a new contract. Colts President Bill Polian didn't want to have the young team's chemistry damaged, so he traded Faulk for second- and fifth-round picks in the upcoming draft . The Colts took Edgerrin James with their first pick and he joined Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison in an offense that would dominate for years.

In his first year in St. Louis, Faulk was the catalyst for "The Greatest Show on Turf", a nickname given to the Rams spread offense formation, innovated by Dick Vermeil and Mike Martz. In this offense he put up some of the best all-purpose numbers in the history of the NFL. Faulk's patience and diligence in learning the Rams offense paid off when he totaled 2,429 yards from scrimmage, obliterating Barry Sanders mark set in 1997. With 1,381 yards rushing (a superb 5.5 yards-per-carry average), 1,048 receiving yards, and scoring 12 touchdowns in a truly fantastic year, Faulk joined Roger Craig as the only men to total 1,000+ yards in each category in a season. The Rams eventually went on to win Super Bowl XXXIV. In the game, Faulk was contained on the ground by Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher's defensive scheme, limiting him to just 17 rushing yards. This is perhaps due to the Titans inability to stop the Rams passing game, which Faulk was a major part of, recording 5 receptions for 90 yards. He was also one of the main reasons why "The Catch" (a 73 yard touchdown reception that scored the final points of the game), as the Rams fans called it, made by Isaac Bruce had even been successful. Replays showed a last minute block to defensive rookie of the year Jevon Kearse, delivered by Faulk, bought Kurt Warner just enough time to release the ball. For all this effort and success, he received the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award and starter for the NFC squad in the 1999 NFL Pro Bowl.

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Athletes - Marshall Faulk

College career

Professional career

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