Running Back,
Indianapolis Colts
Age: 21
College: San
Diego State
Height: 5’10” Weight: 200
Prelude:
Faulk was a
three-time consensus first-team All-American, the first in San Diego State
history, as he rushed for a total of 4589 yards, including 386 in a single game,
and scored 62 touchdowns. Choosing to turn pro after his junior year, Faulk was
taken in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft (second overall) by the Colts
and quickly established himself as an outstanding combination runner/receiver.
1994 Season Summary
Appeared and
started in all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 314
[7]
Most
attempts, game - 27 (for 129 yds.) at Seattle 12/4
Yards – 1282 [5]
Most yards,
game – 143 yards (on 23 carries) vs. Houston 9/4
Average gain
– 4.1 [9]
TDs – 11 [3]
100-yard
rushing games – 4
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 52
Most
receptions, game – 8 (for 127 yds.) vs. Washington 10/23
Yards – 522
Most yards,
game - 127 (on 8 catches) vs. Washington 10/23
Average gain
– 10.0
TDs – 1
100-yard
receiving games – 1
All-Purpose
Yards – 1804 [6]
Scoring
TDs – 12 [4,
tied with Natrone Means, 1st in AFC]
Points – 72
Awards & Honors:
NFL Rookie of
the Year: Sporting News
NFL Offensive
Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA
AFC Rookie of
the Year: UPI
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st
team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Colts went 8-8
to finish third in the AFC East.
Aftermath:
Faulk was
selected to the Pro Bowl again following a 1995 performance in which he rushed
for 1078 yards and had 56 catches. Injuries, and a subpar offensive line,
reduced his production significantly in 1996 and he ran for 1054 yards and
caught 47 passes for a 3-13 team in ’97. Faulk returned to Pro Bowl form in
1998 as he rushed for 1319 yards and gained 908 yards on 86 pass receptions to
lead the NFL with 2227 yards from scrimmage. Traded to the Rams in the
offseason for two draft picks, he was a key (along with unsung QB Kurt Warner)
in lifting St. Louis to a NFL title as he again led the league in yards from
scrimmage (2429), rushing for 1381 and catching 87 passes for 1048 more yards.
He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and also received MVP honors
for the first time. Faulk followed up with another strong season in 2000, again
receiving MVP consideration while setting a new record for touchdowns (26) and
gaining 1359 rushing yards plus 830 more on 81 catches for a total of 2189
yards from scrimmage. In 2001 he received MVP recognition for the third
straight year as he gained 2147 yards overall, with 1382 rushing and 765 on 83
catches. He scored 21 touchdowns to lead the NFL in scoring for a second
consecutive season with 128 points. Faulk was a consensus first-team All-Pro
for a third straight year and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive
time. He had one last Pro Bowl season in 2002 (his 7th overall), but
injuries and accumulated wear-and-tear were reducing his production. While he
played until 2005, he never again gained over a thousand yards rushing or two
thousand yards from scrimmage. For his career, he rushed for 12,279 yards and
100 touchdowns and caught 767 passes for 6875 yards and another 36 TDs. At the
time, his 19,190 total yards ranked sixth all-time and 136 TDs placed fourth.
Faulk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.
--
Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie
of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by
a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise
Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league
itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).
[Updated 12/2/14]
[Updated 12/2/14]
