Marshall Faulk
Encyclopedia
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football
running back
who played in the National Football League
. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access
, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network
. He played football in college for San Diego State University
, before being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts
in the 1994 NFL Draft
. Following the 1998 season Faulk was traded to the St. Louis Rams
. Marshall is one of the 3 players (Marcus Allen
& Tiki Barber
) to reach at least 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards in his career and the only one to have 12,000 yards rushing, 6,000 yards receiving. His seven two-point conversions are an NFL record. His 5 games of 250+ yards from scrimmage and 14 games of 200+ yards from scrimmage are also NFL records. Marshall Faulk is the only player to have 70+ rushing touchdowns and 30+ receiving touchdowns. Due to a knee injury, Faulk did not play in the 2006 season. During the season he became an analyst for the NFL Network. Faulk announced on March 26, 2007 that he had officially retired from football at the annual NFL Owners meeting. Faulk had his #28 jersey retired by the St. Louis Rams on December 20, 2007. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2011.
After playing at George Washington Carver High School in New Orleans, Marshall Faulk went on to a stand-out career as a running 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 the University of the Pacific
in just his second collegiate game on September 15, 1991. In 37 carries, he racked up 386 yards and scored seven touchdowns, both records for freshmen (the 386 yards were then an NCAA-record). "Faulk had scoring runs of 61, 7, 47, 9, 5, 8 and 25 yards." http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910915&slug=1305504 That performance sparked one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA
history, gaining 1,429 yards rushing, with 23 total touchdowns (21 rushing), and 140 points scored. Although in the next two seasons he would not replicate the success of his freshman year, he showed in his final season at SDSU 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 and 2nd in scoring. Faulk left San Diego State University with many of the school's offensive records, amongst them 62 career touchdowns, which is the 8th most in NCAA history.
by the Indianapolis Colts
, who were in desperate need of a running game.
On July 25, 1994, Faulk signed a seven-year $17.2 million contract and received a $5.1 million signing bonus. Faulk responded by rushing for 1,282 yards, 11 touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown. The Colts improved to 8-8. Marshall Faulk, later that season, would become the first NFL player to win both the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and the Pro Bowl’s Most Valuable Player Award in the same season.
The next season Faulk rushed for 1,078 yards and 14 total touchdowns. The Colts made the postseason, going 9-7, and narrowly missed the Super Bowl
after a close loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the AFC Championship Game
which Faulk missed due to a nagging toe injury.
The next year was a miserable one for Faulk. Because of a toe injury he suffered earlier in the season, he rushed for only 587 yards, with a 3 yards-per-carry average. 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, while also finishing 4th in the league in receptions. It would also be the first of an NFL-record 4 consecutive 2,000+ total-yard seasons.
the following season due to problems he referred to as "misunderstandings." Faulk had missed practices and was considered holding out for a new contract. Colts president Bill Polian did not want his young team's chemistry damaged, so he traded Faulk for second- and fifth-round picks in the upcoming draft (used to draft LB Mike Peterson
and DE Brad Scioli
). The Colts moved on at the position, drafting Edgerrin James
in the first round. Faulk held out for twelve days as the details of his contract were worked out. On August 4, 1999, Faulk signed a seven-year, $45.2 million contract with the Rams, which was the biggest deal in team history at the time. In it Faulk was guaranteed $9.6 million including a $7-million signing bonus. The problem in negotiations was the proposed fifth year, in which Faulk would get $7 million in salary and $5-million a roster bonus. The deal was structured to prevent Faulk from ever being tagged a transition or franchise player.
In his first year in St. Louis, Faulk was the catalyst for "The Greatest Show on Turf
", a nickname given to coordinator Mike Martz
's aggressive Coryell
-style offense. 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 an NFL record 2,429 yards from scrimmage, eclipsing Barry Sanders's record of 2,358 yards set in 1997 (which has since been broken by Chris Johnson in 2009). With 1,381 yards rushing (5.5 yards-per-carry average), 1,048 receiving yards, and scoring 12 touchdowns, Faulk joined Roger Craig as the only men to total 1,000+ yards in each category in a season. He also broke the NFL season record for most receiving yards by a running back, previously held by Lionel James
. 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 was perhaps due to the Titans' inability to stop the Rams' passing game, of which Faulk was a major part, recording 5 receptions for 90 yards. His 90 receiving yards were the second highest total by a running back in Super Bowl history. At the end of the season, he received the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
and was a starter for the NFC squad in the 1999 Pro Bowl
.
The following year, Faulk became the first running back in NFL history to lead his team in receptions five separate seasons (three in Indianapolis and twice in St. Louis). In addition, he was the NFL MVP and again the Offensive Player of the Year in 2000. He had 1,359 yards rushing in fourteen games and set a new NFL record with 26 total touchdowns, (a record that would soon be broken by Priest Holmes
and then later by Shaun Alexander
and LaDainian Tomlinson
), despite missing two games due to injury. He also averaged 5+ yards per carry again, this time with 5.4. The Rams, however were not able to replicate the record they had the year prior. Even with the offense scoring the most points and yards during the "The Greatest Show on Turf
" era, the defense gave up 470 points.
The Rams returned to the Super Bowl the next year as their defense returned to form, allowing only 273 points, and the offense once again scored over 500 points, with 503. Faulk had another excellent season, rushing 260 times for a career-high 1,382 yards (5.3 yards per carry), and catching 83 passes for 765 yards, for an NFC-leading total of 2,147 yards from scrimmage (second in the NFL only to Priest Holmes
, who totaled 2,169 yards) and scoring 21 touchdowns despite once again missing 2 games to injuries. Faulk won, for the third year in a row, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year award, but finished second in a close vote to teammate Kurt Warner
in the MVP vote. These years would be the climax of Faulk's career.
Faulk's injuries and age would soon catch up to him; 2001 was the last of his 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and though he was still employed as the Rams' primary running back for several years following the 2001 season, he was no longer the player he had been in his prime, despite remaining a respected and effective player.
On July 29, 2002, Faulk signed a new seven-year, $43.95 million contract with the Rams. Faulk was about to enter the fourth year of his 1999 contract. In this new contract Faulk received a $10.7 million signing bonus. In the 2002 season the Rams struggled and finished the year at 7-9. Faulk played in 14 games and started 10 and ended with 953 yards and 80 receptions. The following season he played in and started 11 games, finishing with 818 yards and 45 receptions as the Rams rebounded with a 12-4 record.
In 2004 Faulk split time with rookie Steven Jackson
and played in 14 games and rushing for 774 yards. In February, 2005, Faulk agreed to a restructured contract to reduce his contract cap number. He was scheduled to make about $7.5 million in 2005. In the new contract received a total of $6 million in the next two seasons and a $2 million signing bonus was included.
On July 21, the Rams announced that Faulk would undergo reconstructive knee surgery and miss the entire 2006 NFL season. During the season Faulk served as an analyst for the NFL Network
's NFL Total Access
.
On an edition of CBS's "NFL Gamecenter" on November 20, 2006, Faulk was the center of controversy when he stated that a "quarterback 'makes' the offensive line" and that he could pass-rush against his former teammate Orlando Pace
, one of the league's premier pass-protectors, with success given enough attempts, belittling the importance of a good offensive line to a team. Immediately after the commercial break that ensued, he was nowhere to be found on the set.
During an NBC Sunday Night Football
halftime show
, Faulk was asked by one of the announcers, "So are you retired or not?" Faulk said that he was still a Ram, and would be a Ram for the rest of his life. He then said that if the Rams would have him back, he would play next year, as he was able to run full speed on his re-built knees, however on March 26, 2007, Faulk announced his retirement from football.
On November 29, 2007, the Rams announced that they would be retiring Faulk's number. The ceremony was during halftime of the Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers
on December 20, 2007. In 2010 on "NFL Network presents The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players", Faulk was voted the number 70 player of all time.
In 2011, Faulk's first year of eligibility, he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
. As a running back, he placed first in receiving yards (6,875), second in pass receptions (767), second in receiving TD's (36), third in yards from scrimmage (19,154), and tenth in rushing yards (12,279).
analyst. He serves an analyst on NFL Total Access
, where he is relied on to provide a player’s perspective on today’s game. He also appears on Thursday Night Football’s Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears, Sprint Halftime Show, and Kay Jewelers Postgame show. On NFL Sundays, Faulk can be seen on NFL GameDay Morning which kicks off NFL Network’s full coverage of the NFL on Sunday.
He also was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011 he accomplished the outstanding achievement of being a first ballot hall of famer.
, running back for the New England Patriots
.
In 2009, Faulk was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions
into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access is a television news program on the NFL Network.The network treats it as the league's "show of record" and bills it as the only year-round show dedicated to the National Football League, despite the ESPN show NFL Live running year round as well.NFL Total Access is primarily hosted...
, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
. He played football in college for San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, before being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. Following the 1998 season Faulk was traded to the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. Marshall is one of the 3 players (Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
& Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....
) to reach at least 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards in his career and the only one to have 12,000 yards rushing, 6,000 yards receiving. His seven two-point conversions are an NFL record. His 5 games of 250+ yards from scrimmage and 14 games of 200+ yards from scrimmage are also NFL records. Marshall Faulk is the only player to have 70+ rushing touchdowns and 30+ receiving touchdowns. Due to a knee injury, Faulk did not play in the 2006 season. During the season he became an analyst for the NFL Network. Faulk announced on March 26, 2007 that he had officially retired from football at the annual NFL Owners meeting. Faulk had his #28 jersey retired by the St. Louis Rams on December 20, 2007. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2011.
College
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, compared to Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
, 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 the University of the Pacific
Pacific Tigers football
The Pacific Tigers football team represented University of the Pacific in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team competed in the Big West Conference during their last season in 1995...
in just his second collegiate game on September 15, 1991. In 37 carries, he racked up 386 yards and scored seven touchdowns, both records for freshmen (the 386 yards were then an NCAA-record). "Faulk had scoring runs of 61, 7, 47, 9, 5, 8 and 25 yards." http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910915&slug=1305504 That performance sparked one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
history, gaining 1,429 yards rushing, with 23 total touchdowns (21 rushing), and 140 points scored. Although in the next two seasons he would not replicate the success of his freshman year, he showed in his final season at SDSU 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 and 2nd in scoring. Faulk left San Diego State University with many of the school's offensive records, amongst them 62 career touchdowns, which is the 8th most in NCAA history.
Pre-draft
Faulk ran a 4.28 forty-yard dash time at the combine and measured 5'10 and 207 pounds. On March 31, 1994, Faulk ran a 4.35 forty-yard time at the San Diego State Pro Day.Indianapolis Colts (1994–1998)
Faulk was drafted 2nd overall in the 1994 NFL Draft1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, who were in desperate need of a running game.
On July 25, 1994, Faulk signed a seven-year $17.2 million contract and received a $5.1 million signing bonus. Faulk responded by rushing for 1,282 yards, 11 touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown. The Colts improved to 8-8. Marshall Faulk, later that season, would become the first NFL player to win both the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and the Pro Bowl’s Most Valuable Player Award in the same season.
The next season Faulk rushed for 1,078 yards and 14 total touchdowns. The Colts made the postseason, going 9-7, and narrowly missed the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
after a close loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in the AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
which Faulk missed due to a nagging toe injury.
The next year was a miserable one for Faulk. Because of a toe injury he suffered earlier in the season, he rushed for only 587 yards, with a 3 yards-per-carry average. 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
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Davis was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis is the Denver Broncos all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing...
by 2 yards, while also finishing 4th in the league in receptions. It would also be the first of an NFL-record 4 consecutive 2,000+ total-yard seasons.
St. Louis Rams (1999–2006)
Faulk was traded to the St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
the following season due to problems he referred to as "misunderstandings." Faulk had missed practices and was considered holding out for a new contract. Colts president Bill Polian did not want his young team's chemistry damaged, so he traded Faulk for second- and fifth-round picks in the upcoming draft (used to draft LB Mike Peterson
Mike Peterson
Porter Michael "Mike" Peterson is an American professional football player who has been a linebacker in the National Football League for thirteen seasons...
and DE Brad Scioli
Brad Scioli
Brad Elliott Scioli is a former American football defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL.-Pro career:...
). The Colts moved on at the position, drafting Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
in the first round. Faulk held out for twelve days as the details of his contract were worked out. On August 4, 1999, Faulk signed a seven-year, $45.2 million contract with the Rams, which was the biggest deal in team history at the time. In it Faulk was guaranteed $9.6 million including a $7-million signing bonus. The problem in negotiations was the proposed fifth year, in which Faulk would get $7 million in salary and $5-million a roster bonus. The deal was structured to prevent Faulk from ever being tagged a transition or franchise player.
In his first year in St. Louis, Faulk was the catalyst for "The Greatest Show on Turf
The Greatest Show on Turf
"The Greatest Show on Turf" was the nickname for the St. Louis Rams' considerably talented and famous record-breaking offense during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 National Football League seasons. The offense was designed by attack oriented offensive coordinator Mike Martz who advocated an unrelenting...
", a nickname given to coordinator Mike Martz
Mike Martz
Michael Martz is a former NFL head coach and currently the offensive coordinator for the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
's aggressive Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
-style offense. 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 an NFL record 2,429 yards from scrimmage, eclipsing Barry Sanders's record of 2,358 yards set in 1997 (which has since been broken by Chris Johnson in 2009). With 1,381 yards rushing (5.5 yards-per-carry average), 1,048 receiving yards, and scoring 12 touchdowns, Faulk joined Roger Craig as the only men to total 1,000+ yards in each category in a season. He also broke the NFL season record for most receiving yards by a running back, previously held by Lionel James
Lionel James
Lionel 'Little Train' James , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 5th round of the 1984 NFL Draft. Undersized at 5'6" and 171 lbs., James played running back at Auburn University where he shared the backfield with Bo Jackson...
. The Rams eventually went on to win Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
. In the game, Faulk was contained on the ground by Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
head coach Jeff Fisher
Jeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher is the former head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He has a 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach.-Early life:...
's defensive scheme, limiting him to just 17 rushing yards. This was perhaps due to the Titans' inability to stop the Rams' passing game, of which Faulk was a major part, recording 5 receptions for 90 yards. His 90 receiving yards were the second highest total by a running back in Super Bowl history. At the end of the season, he received the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
The NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award is given annually by the Associated Press to the offensive player of the National Football League believed to have had the most outstanding season...
and was a starter for the NFC squad in the 1999 Pro Bowl
2000 Pro Bowl
The 2000 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 6, 2000 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii Attendance— 50,112. The game was broadcast by ABC with a running time of three hours and sixteen minutes. The final score was NFC 51, AFC 31. The AFC coach was Tom Coughlin of Jacksonville.The NFC coach...
.
The following year, Faulk became the first running back in NFL history to lead his team in receptions five separate seasons (three in Indianapolis and twice in St. Louis). In addition, he was the NFL MVP and again the Offensive Player of the Year in 2000. He had 1,359 yards rushing in fourteen games and set a new NFL record with 26 total touchdowns, (a record that would soon be broken by Priest Holmes
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
and then later by Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
and LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
), despite missing two games due to injury. He also averaged 5+ yards per carry again, this time with 5.4. The Rams, however were not able to replicate the record they had the year prior. Even with the offense scoring the most points and yards during the "The Greatest Show on Turf
The Greatest Show on Turf
"The Greatest Show on Turf" was the nickname for the St. Louis Rams' considerably talented and famous record-breaking offense during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 National Football League seasons. The offense was designed by attack oriented offensive coordinator Mike Martz who advocated an unrelenting...
" era, the defense gave up 470 points.
The Rams returned to the Super Bowl the next year as their defense returned to form, allowing only 273 points, and the offense once again scored over 500 points, with 503. Faulk had another excellent season, rushing 260 times for a career-high 1,382 yards (5.3 yards per carry), and catching 83 passes for 765 yards, for an NFC-leading total of 2,147 yards from scrimmage (second in the NFL only to Priest Holmes
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
, who totaled 2,169 yards) and scoring 21 touchdowns despite once again missing 2 games to injuries. Faulk won, for the third year in a row, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year award, but finished second in a close vote to teammate Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
in the MVP vote. These years would be the climax of Faulk's career.
Faulk's injuries and age would soon catch up to him; 2001 was the last of his 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and though he was still employed as the Rams' primary running back for several years following the 2001 season, he was no longer the player he had been in his prime, despite remaining a respected and effective player.
On July 29, 2002, Faulk signed a new seven-year, $43.95 million contract with the Rams. Faulk was about to enter the fourth year of his 1999 contract. In this new contract Faulk received a $10.7 million signing bonus. In the 2002 season the Rams struggled and finished the year at 7-9. Faulk played in 14 games and started 10 and ended with 953 yards and 80 receptions. The following season he played in and started 11 games, finishing with 818 yards and 45 receptions as the Rams rebounded with a 12-4 record.
In 2004 Faulk split time with rookie Steven Jackson
Steven Jackson
Steven Rashad Jackson is an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Rams 24th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State University....
and played in 14 games and rushing for 774 yards. In February, 2005, Faulk agreed to a restructured contract to reduce his contract cap number. He was scheduled to make about $7.5 million in 2005. In the new contract received a total of $6 million in the next two seasons and a $2 million signing bonus was included.
On July 21, the Rams announced that Faulk would undergo reconstructive knee surgery and miss the entire 2006 NFL season. During the season Faulk served as an analyst for the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
's NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access is a television news program on the NFL Network.The network treats it as the league's "show of record" and bills it as the only year-round show dedicated to the National Football League, despite the ESPN show NFL Live running year round as well.NFL Total Access is primarily hosted...
.
On an edition of CBS's "NFL Gamecenter" on November 20, 2006, Faulk was the center of controversy when he stated that a "quarterback 'makes' the offensive line" and that he could pass-rush against his former teammate Orlando Pace
Orlando Pace
Orlando Lamar Pace is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams first overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State. Pace has started all 16 games eight times and blocked for three straight NFL MVPs...
, one of the league's premier pass-protectors, with success given enough attempts, belittling the importance of a good offensive line to a team. Immediately after the commercial break that ensued, he was nowhere to be found on the set.
During an NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
halftime show
Football Night in America
Football Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
, Faulk was asked by one of the announcers, "So are you retired or not?" Faulk said that he was still a Ram, and would be a Ram for the rest of his life. He then said that if the Rams would have him back, he would play next year, as he was able to run full speed on his re-built knees, however on March 26, 2007, Faulk announced his retirement from football.
On November 29, 2007, the Rams announced that they would be retiring Faulk's number. The ceremony was during halftime of the Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
on December 20, 2007. In 2010 on "NFL Network presents The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players", Faulk was voted the number 70 player of all time.
In 2011, Faulk's first year of eligibility, he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. As a running back, he placed first in receiving yards (6,875), second in pass receptions (767), second in receiving TD's (36), third in yards from scrimmage (19,154), and tenth in rushing yards (12,279).
Professional statistics
| 1994 | Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... | 16 | 16 | 314 | 1282 | 4.1 | 52 | 11 | 12 | 58 |
| 1995 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 16 | 289 | 1078 | 3.7 | 40 | 11 | 6 | 68 |
| 1996 | Indianapolis Colts | 13 | 13 | 198 | 587 | 3.0 | 43 | 7 | 1 | 41 |
| 1997 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 16 | 264 | 1054 | 4.0 | 45 | 7 | 7 | 65 |
| 1998 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 15 | 324 | 1319 | 4.1 | 68 | 6 | 5 | 62 |
| 1999 | St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... | 16 | 16 | 253 | 1381 | 5.5 | 58 | 7 | 9 | 65 |
| 2000 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 14 | 253 | 1359 | 5.4 | 36 | 18 | 6 | 78 | 2001 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 14 | 260 | 1382 | 5.3 | 71 | 12 | 8 | 70 | 2002 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 10 | 212 | 953 | 4.5 | 44 | 8 | 5 | 51 | 2003 | St. Louis Rams | 11 | 11 | 209 | 818 | 3.9 | 52 | 10 | 5 | 49 | 2004 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 14 | 195 | 774 | 4.0 | 40 | 3 | 2 | 45 | 2005 | St. Louis Rams | 16 | 1 | 65 | 292 | 4.5 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 2006 | St. Louis Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | TOTAL | 176 | 156 | 2836 | 12279 | 4.3 | 71 | 100 | 67 | 667 | >
| 1994 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 16 | 52 | 522 | 10.0 | 85 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22 |
| 1995 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 16 | 56 | 475 | 8.5 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 118 not 118 | 1996 | Indianapolis Colts | 13 | 13 | 56 | 428 | 7.6 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 1997 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 16 | 47 | 471 | 10.0 | 58 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 1998 | Indianapolis Colts | 16 | 15 | 86 | 908 | 10.6 | 78 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 44 | 1999 | St. Louis Rams | 16 | 16 | 87 | 1048 | 12.0 | 57 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 40 | 2000 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 14 | 81 | 830 | 10.2 | 72 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 42 | 2001 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 14 | 83 | 765 | 9.2 | 65 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 40 | 2002 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 10 | 80 | 537 | 6.7 | 40 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 2003 | St. Louis Rams | 11 | 11 | 45 | 290 | 6.4 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 2004 | St. Louis Rams | 14 | 14 | 50 | 310 | 6.2 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2005 | St. Louis Rams | 16 | 1 | 44 | 291 | 6.6 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2006 | St. Louis Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | TOTAL | 176 | 156 | 767 | 6875 | 9.0 | 85 | 36 | 58 | 13 | 303 | >
Post NFL career
Faulk is in his fifth season as an NFL NetworkNFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
analyst. He serves an analyst on NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access
NFL Total Access is a television news program on the NFL Network.The network treats it as the league's "show of record" and bills it as the only year-round show dedicated to the National Football League, despite the ESPN show NFL Live running year round as well.NFL Total Access is primarily hosted...
, where he is relied on to provide a player’s perspective on today’s game. He also appears on Thursday Night Football’s Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears, Sprint Halftime Show, and Kay Jewelers Postgame show. On NFL Sundays, Faulk can be seen on NFL GameDay Morning which kicks off NFL Network’s full coverage of the NFL on Sunday.
He also was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011 he accomplished the outstanding achievement of being a first ballot hall of famer.
Personal life
Faulk married Lindsay Stoudt in 2006 and they currently reside in San Diego, California and has also moved his charitable foundation there. Faulk's childhood friend Damian Warren helped him start his foundation. Faulk is also related to Kevin FaulkKevin Faulk
Kevin Troy Faulk is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU.As of 2010, Faulk is the longest-tenured current member of the Patriots,...
, running back for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
In 2009, Faulk was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions
San Diego Hall of Champions
The San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.