CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former fullback J.R. Niklos was surprised the first time he met Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk with the St. Louis Rams in 2002.
“He’s got his shirt off, and you would think being Marshall Faulk, he would just be shredded,” said Niklos, who played for the Rams in Faulk’s final four seasons (2002-05). “He wasn’t. He was just like an average guy.”
So Niklos understands what Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey -- who, in 2019, joined Faulk as one of three players in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season -- meant last week when he said Faulk gave him “great advice” on how to stay healthy later in his career.