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By Brian Burwell / PD
Coach Mike Martz says Faulk's sore knees need some rest. I asked Faulk how much rest he thinks he'll take. 'That depends on what you want to do,' he said, speaking generally, as if he were talking about someone else. 'If this is your last season, then what you do is rush back, deal with the pain and whatever happens happens and you retire at the end of the season. But if you've decided that you want to play at least one more year, and you're comfortable and accept a specific limited role, than you play it smart. You take your time, get healthy and come back when it's feeling right.'
Faulk sounded like a man who was more interested in returning for one more scaled-back run next season. He also sounded quite comfortable with this changing of the guard.
As we talked, Faulk was nearly trampled as the media moved in to circle and interview quarterback Chris Chandler. Faulk slipped on his black leather jacket, pulled his wool knit cap down snuggly over his head, flipped a backpack over his shoulder and nimbly tried to get out of the way.
As he attempted to make a quick getaway, a few more reporters converged on him.
'Can we ask you a few questions, Marshall?' someone asked.
'Awww, nah,' he whispered, feigning modesty. 'Why do you want to talk to me?'
Faulk is not quite ready to say goodbye to his athletic life just yet. But he is perceptive enough to know that this wasn't his moment. This was not his time. Faulk could see that big fellow over there on the other side of the room with the flowing dreadlocks and youthful legs was finishing up his postgame radio interview. Faulk knew Jackson was about to march back to his locker stall.
Faulk knows a thing or two about the paradox of the past and the future never occupying the same space. So the living legend nearing the end of his 11-year Hall of Fame run slipped quietly out the back locker-room door. A few moments later, the future - young Mr. Jackson - slipped seamlessly into his space.
Coach Mike Martz says Faulk's sore knees need some rest. I asked Faulk how much rest he thinks he'll take. 'That depends on what you want to do,' he said, speaking generally, as if he were talking about someone else. 'If this is your last season, then what you do is rush back, deal with the pain and whatever happens happens and you retire at the end of the season. But if you've decided that you want to play at least one more year, and you're comfortable and accept a specific limited role, than you play it smart. You take your time, get healthy and come back when it's feeling right.'
Faulk sounded like a man who was more interested in returning for one more scaled-back run next season. He also sounded quite comfortable with this changing of the guard.
As we talked, Faulk was nearly trampled as the media moved in to circle and interview quarterback Chris Chandler. Faulk slipped on his black leather jacket, pulled his wool knit cap down snuggly over his head, flipped a backpack over his shoulder and nimbly tried to get out of the way.
As he attempted to make a quick getaway, a few more reporters converged on him.
'Can we ask you a few questions, Marshall?' someone asked.
'Awww, nah,' he whispered, feigning modesty. 'Why do you want to talk to me?'
Faulk is not quite ready to say goodbye to his athletic life just yet. But he is perceptive enough to know that this wasn't his moment. This was not his time. Faulk could see that big fellow over there on the other side of the room with the flowing dreadlocks and youthful legs was finishing up his postgame radio interview. Faulk knew Jackson was about to march back to his locker stall.
Faulk knows a thing or two about the paradox of the past and the future never occupying the same space. So the living legend nearing the end of his 11-year Hall of Fame run slipped quietly out the back locker-room door. A few moments later, the future - young Mr. Jackson - slipped seamlessly into his space.
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