For most of the prognosticators, Marshall Faulk was a sure thing, first ballot hall of famer. Even though he was all but a shoe-in, Faulk was nervous about the results of the vote before they became official, according to James Varney of NOLA.com.
“I felt nervous for the first time,” he said. “I thought, ‘I haven’t felt this way in a long time. This is OK. I know how to deal with this.’ And then it became a relief I didn’t even know I needed.”
It's kind of refreshing to hear this take from an athlete on such an important moment in their lives. Even though there was an excellent chance he would get in, and Faulk is used to performing in high pressure situations, Faulk was still as nervous as anyone else would be.
Faulk is an excellent choice for the hall of fame, and a good ambassador of the game. The rest of that article details how Faulk escaped the rough neighborhood that he grew up in in New Orleans, and is an excellent read. Faulk is one of those guys that fans can root for even when he isn't wearing the pads anymore.
Check out this stream on SB Nation for more on all of the newest members of the NFL Hall of Fame.