Why Marshall Faulk still has love for Indy
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Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend, and before the big game, Axios caught up with Colts legend Marshall Faulk to talk about his time in Indianapolis.
Why it matters: Faulk was a force from the moment he touched the field as the second overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft.
- He was the first player to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl MVP in the same season.
- Faulk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011, the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor in 2013 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
- After five seasons with the Colts, he was traded to St. Louis, where he won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2000.
Zoom in: Faulk, a New Orleans native, was doing interviews in his hometown this week for Sodexo Live to talk about Super Bowl food.
What do you miss most about playing in Indianapolis?
- "The culture of the fans. I was part of the teams that converted that basketball city into a football city. We started to win and make it into the playoffs, almost getting to the Super Bowl right before Peyton (Manning) got there, and that RCA Dome was rocking."
- "The fans started to embrace us in a similar fashion, and if not better than they did the Pacers at that time. And it was a nice rivalry. What we were doing and (what) Reggie Miller and the Pacers (were doing), it was an awesome time in sports in the city of Indianapolis."
Considering your Hall of Fame pro career started in the Circle City, what does Indy mean to you today?
- "I'm always grateful to the Irsay family. I was a 21-year-old kid who didn't know what I didn't know. For them to invest in me and give me millions of dollars and trust me with their organization … at the time you feel worthy, or you feel like they should be happy. But when you look back on it as you get older, I'm just grateful that they gave me the opportunity to grow up and learn how to become a professional."
- "People always tell me, 'Are you sad that they traded you?' I am, but I'm also happy that they gave me the opportunity."
How does it feel to go down in history as one of the most dominant players in the Madden game franchise?
- "I think regardless of what it is, as you get older, you just appreciate being remembered. If it's in a game, you just want to be remembered. So I'm grateful, and thank you for remembering me, even if it's in the virtual sense of a game."