[1][2] Faulk played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs, with whom he was a two-time unanimous All-American.

[citation needed] While growing up he sold popcorn at New Orleans Saints games in the Louisiana Superdome.

[6] During his final two years playing for Carver High, Faulk rushed 1,800 yards and scored thirty-two touchdowns.

At the end of the year, Faulk joined Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker as one of just three true freshmen ever selected to the College Football All-America Team by the Associated Press.

Faulk left San Diego State University with many of the school's offensive records, among them 5,562 all-purpose yards and 62 career touchdowns, which is the 8th most in NCAA history.

ESPN analyst Lee Corso led a campaign supporting Torretta for the Heisman and left Marshall Faulk off of his ballot.

[14][15] In 1992, Faulk was named Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Jr. by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.

[16] Along with defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson and quarterbacks Heath Shuler and Trent Dilfer, Faulk was regarded as "one of the four players who rank well above the others in this draft".

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.

[25] 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.

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 (Faulk's mark has since been broken by Chris Johnson in 2009).

[23] He also broke the NFL season record for most receiving yards by a running back, previously held by Lionel James.

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.

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).

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.

On July 21, the Rams announced that Faulk would undergo reconstructive knee surgery and miss the entire 2006 NFL season.

[citation needed] During an NBC Sunday Night Football halftime show, Faulk was asked by one of the announcers, "So are you retired or not?"

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, but on March 26, 2007, Faulk announced his retirement from football.

He served as an analyst on NFL Total Access, where he provided a player's perspective on today's game.

He also appeared on Thursday Night Football's pre-game, halftime and post-game shows, and Sunday's NFL GameDay Morning.

[36] On February 6, 2025, Faulk was hired as running backs coach for the Colorado Buffaloes football team of the Big 12 Conference.