[general counsel]

I agree completely with tx on the blitz pick ups. A big part of why i always say he is underated. So much of what he did never showed up on the stats.

Faulk had lost the best of his elite speed by the time he joined the rams. Can you imagine what he was like when he couldnt be caught from behind? And yet, he was so sneaky fast and could cut on a dime. The sight of faulk seemingly walking on an end sweep, following his blockers, waiting for the hole to open and then darting through that crevice at the speed of light was one of the most poetic and beatiful things i have ever seen on a football field. He was such a great, great between the tackles runner who almost never fumbled. He was a competitor beyond compare. He was a human mismatch as a receiver, the best receiving running back by far in the history of the nfl and the reason why comparisons to dickerson as an ALL AROUND back make no sense. He had the open field moves and cut back ability of a gayle sayres. He DID NOT play his entire career on the rams behind 5 pro bowl linemen (as dickerson did). He could line up in countless places in the formation and wreak havoc on a defense. He had to be accounted for on every single play.

One of the greatest things about faulk is how when the rams absolutely positively needed him, he was at his best. Case in point- THe second half of the game against the eagles for the nfc title. Greatest show on turf my butt. We were losing and what did martz do to take control of the game? The only logical thing. He handed the ball to marshall 11 times in a row and got the hell out of the way. marshall and the o line drilled the eagles into the ground and took back the game. If only martz had remembered that method the following week against the pats in the superbowl.

Look at the games the rams lost during the gsot peak and see what they had in common. Specifically, faulk didnt get enough touches. Remember how at the end of the 2000 season when the rams were in full collapse mode, faulk put the team literally on his back for those last three games and just devastated everyone in his wake, including that all time classic performance against the saints. Remember the 4 tds against tampa in the 2000 monday night game that we lost. Remember him in the carolina playoff game, well past his prime, still making those open field moves and destroying the defense as a receiver. Remember the sheer will and that gameface as he ran out the clock in countless rams wins during the gsot. That killer look in his eye is something that THe Big Boy is just starting to get. The look that says, "Load it up Hoss, i dont care if you know i'm a comin', you arent gonna stop me from getting that first down"

Almost as good a pure runner as dickerson, as tough as payton, the best pass receiver ever at the position, almost as good a blocker as payton, as smart as anyone ever to play the position, remarkable patience as a runner and a teamate that enjoyed the utmost respect of everyone he ever played with, all hail the greatest man ever to put on the horns, the greatest ram of all time, the ultimate ram, marshall faulk.

We will all teach our kids to say marshall, marshall, marshall when the chips really are on the line. The clan will be in canton in force when his day comes.

ramming speed to all

general counsel