Ranking the 10 best small school college football RBs of all time
By Zach Bigalke
Like LaDainian Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk is better remembered for his NFL exploits than what he did in college. That is a shame, because what Faulk did at San Diego State is nothing short of spectacular. Faulk was one of the most consistent running backs at any level of college football, finishing in the top six in the I-A rushing charts in each of his three seasons.
That level of consistency did not go unnoticed on a national level. After finishing his freshman year with over 1,600 yards from scrimmage and 23 touchdowns, Faulk finished ninth in the 1991 Heisman voting. A year later, Faulk led the nation with 1,630 rushing yards and finished second behind Gino Torretta in the Heisman race. As a junior, Faulk completed his college career with a multidimensional display that included over 1,500 rushing yards and another 600 receiving yards. In both 1991 and 1993, Faulk led the nation in touchdowns from scrimmage.
The Indianapolis Colts made Faulk the second overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. After five seasons with the Colts, Faulk was traded to St. Louis. Faulk won Super Bowl XXXIV as an integral part of the Greatest Show on Turf. He was also named the 2000 NFL Most Valuable Player. Faulk retired from the NFL after 12 seasons as a pro, finishing his career with over 12,000 rushing yards and another 6,000 receiving yards and 136 total touchdowns.