During the 1999 offseason, Colts running back Marshall Faulk was attempting to renegotiate his contract, which was set to expire in two years. This spurred the Colts to look for a trade partner for the former MVP, which they ultimately found in the then-St. Louis Rams after months of futility. The deal sent Faulk to St. Louis in exchange for three first-round picks - including one that would become a future No. 1 pick itself - and additional selections.
In St. Louis, Faulk took over as the team's full-time starter at running back immediately, starting 15 games during his only season with the Rams. He finished with 730 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. After one season in St. Louis, the Colts were able to negotiate an extension with Faulk, keeping him under contract through 2004.
Faulk had been the face of the Colts franchise since their inception in 1984. However, just before the start of the 1999 season, head coach Mike Ditka decided to move on from Faulk, releasing him during training camp. Ditka cited concerns about Faulk's body weight as the reason for his release, saying that "he's got too much fat around here" (referring to Faulk).
However, many people believe that Ditka was trying to put pressure on Faulk to change teams so he could be traded to another team that needed a running back.
The Indianapolis Colts traded running back Marshall Faulk to the St. Louis Rams yesterday, allowing the Colts to target Ricky Williams with the fourth choice in tomorrow's draft. The Colts had wanted to move Faulk for months because he wanted to renegotiate his two-year deal. He was scheduled to make $7 million this season.
Faulk, 28, is considered one of the best running backs in NFL history. In 10 seasons with the Colts, he rushed for 7,517 yards and 56 touchdowns. He also caught 538 passes for 4,094 yards and 14 more scores during that time.
In St. Louis, Faulk will be reunited with head coach Mike Martz, who drafted him in 1999. Martz used to coordinate the offense for the Rams when Jim Everett was their quarterback.
Faulk announced his retirement from football last month after suffering multiple injuries over the past year. He missed 26 games due to knee problems, a chest injury, and a wrist injury.
During his career, Faulk led the NFL in rushing three times. He also won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 2000.
After graduating from New Jersey's Don Bosco High School, Faulk attended UCLA where he became a star running back for the Bruins.
Colts of Indianapolis Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is a retired American football running back who spent 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams in the National Football League (NFL). He was a two-time consensus All-American in collegiate football for San Diego State University. The Washington Redskins selected Faulk with the tenth overall pick in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft.
Faulk started his career as a member of the Colts and left as one of their all-time greatest running backs. During his time with the team, they won two Super Bowls: XLI and XLII. After leaving Indy, he had stints with the Rams and Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2013.
He returned to Indianapolis in 2014 where he played in three games before being placed on injured reserve. Faulk announced his retirement on January 12, 2015.
Faulk finished his NFL career with 5,577 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns along with 72 receptions for 730 yards and one touchdown. He also added 2,219 return yards and 23 touchdowns.
After ending his career with the Buffalo Bills, Faulk joined their staff as a consultant for running backs.
He is currently working with the Colts as a color analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football.
Faulk is the second highest scoring player in Colts history behind only Peyton Manning.
Marshall Faulk, a former NFL player, was drafted in 1994 and retired in 2005. He subsequently went on to work as a football analyst. He married Lindsay Stoudt in 2006, and the couple was married until their divorce in 2014. They have two children together.
Faulk started his professional football career with the San Diego Chargers in 1994. Over the next nine seasons, he won three NFL Most Valuable Player awards and one Super Bowl title. In 2003, he returned from an early retirement to play for the New England Patriots. He ended his NFL career after one season with the St. Louis Rams.
After retiring from the NFL, Faulk worked as a color commentator for CBS during the NFL season. In 2007, he joined ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast team as a color analyst. In 2013, Faulk became the full-time replacement for Mike Francesa when he took over as radio host of the New York Yankees' games on MLB Network.
He is currently married to actress Leanna Faulk. The couple met while filming a commercial together in 2009 and later began dating. They married in 2016 at First Presbyterian Church in St. Louis.
Faulk has been criticized for his role in several incidents involving violence against women.
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