Marshall Faulk will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 6, and it was announced on Monday that his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, would present him, which seems a bit strange. I mean, having your agent as a presenter seems logical for Deion Sanders -– only because he is not allowed to induct himself.
But kind of surprising for Faulk, a player I watched from the stands of then-Jack Murphy Stadium playing for San Diego State (and really, any of those SDSU coaches who brought Faulk from Louisiana to the Aztecs should be given credit for allowing him to play running back while all of the other big schools wanted him to play defensive back).
With that in mind, here is a list of guys who would be more fitting to present Faulk than his agent.
And without further ado ...
6. Bill Polian
Talk to any Colts fan and they will tell you that Peyton Manning plays with a bunch of scrubs that he makes better. Thus, if Faulk had played for the Colts his entire career, his numbers would have been dismissed because he was clearly benefiting from playing with Manning. Don't believe me? Well, ask yourself, is Edgerrin James going to the Hall of Fame?
5. The New England guy who taped St. Louis' practices before the Super Bowl
He had to get a pretty good look at Faulk, right? But this also goes to show why Mike Martz wouldn't be a great choice. I mean, how could Martz sit there and explain how great Faulk was when he refused to give him the ball during Super Bowl XXXVI? Seems silly.
4. Mike Brown
There might not be anybody who had more to do with Faulk's success than the owner of the Bengals. Brown passed on Faulk in the 1994 NFL Draft to take Dan Wilkinson. Not that you could blame the Bengals; they did have Harold Green at running back. Faulk would have had an excellent career in Cincinnati, but he was much better off in St. Louis, that's for sure.
3. Rodney Harrison
This seems odd, right? Well, imagine how Faulk's career might have been different had Harrison not rolled into Trent Green's knee (during a preseason game mind you) and opened the door for Kurt Warner. The Green-led St. Louis football club might have been good, but would they have been as good without Warner? The smart money says no. Thus, a debt of thanks to Harrison is owed.
2. Dick Vermeil
If there is one event that is made for a person who cries like a woman watching "The Notebook," it is the Hall of Fame ceremony. And if there is one person who is the best at crying (with apologies to Marty Schottenheimer), it is Vermeil. But for all we know, Faulk might have asked Vermeil, and he might still be sobbing right now.
1. Gino Torretta
This might have been the biggest robbery of a Heisman Trophy in history. Well, other than Reggie Bush refusing to give his back. All Torretta did at Miami (Fla.) in 1992 was lob the ball to his fast receivers and let his defense do the work (kind of like Eli Manning in Super Bowl XLII). Although, with Faulk going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it is easy to see who is getting the last laugh.
Did I miss one? You can send more suggestions via Twitter, and be sure to catch the latest on the Dave Dameshek Football Program.
