Jon Gruden Reveals His Favorite Running Back Is A Current Deion Sanders' Coach

The Colorado Buffaloes hired College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk this offseason to be the Buffaloes new running backs coach. Faulk joins coach Deion Sanders’s star loaded staff for the 2025 season.

Former football coach Jon Gruden spoke very highly of Faulk on his show Gruden Goes Long with his guest, 1992 Heisman trophy winning quarterback Gino Torretta. Torretta finished right above Faulk in Heisman voting that season.

Marshall Faulk, Jon Gruden’s “Favorite” Running Back’

Jon Gruden Marshall Faulk Colorado Buffaloes Running Back NFL Hall of Fame College Football Heisman Coach Deion Sanders — Aug 5, 2017; Canton, OH, USA; San Diego Chargers former running back Marshall Faulk arrives during the Professional Football HOF enshrinement ceremonies at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Jon Gruden had Gino Toretta on his show and the two spoke about the great Marshall Faulk. Gruden deems Faulk to be his favorite running back.

“Marshall Faulk is my favorite running back. If I could have one guy, he would be my guy,” Gruden said. “I coached at University of Pacific against him. He had 400 yards at halftime. The guy was unbelievable.”

Jon Gruden has coached as nearly a dozen different places across college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his time with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneeers. Gruden led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory in the 2002 NFL season.

Marshall Faulk finished second in Heisman trophy voting in 1992 behind Torretta. Faulk played from 1991 through 1993 with the San Diego State Aztecs. In 35 games over this three year span, he rushed for an astounding 4,589 yards and 57 touchdowns. He also added another 973 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

Faulk was an All-American in 1991, 1992, and 1993 before getting selected No. 2 overall in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He had a decorated NFL career from 1994 through 2005 with both the Colts and also the St. Louis Rams.

Faulk was an NFL MVP, three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, made six All-Pro teams, seven Pro Bowls, and won a Super Bowl with the Rams in the 1999 season. He was voted into the Pro Football hall of Fame in 2011.

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Marshall Faulk Joins “Coach Prime’s” Staff

Since returning from the NFL, Faulk has spent time on NFL Network as an analyst. Deion Sanders hired him in February of 2025 to be the Colorado Buffaloes running backs coach. He is now part of a staff that has former NFL players all over.

In addition to Deion Sanders, who is arguably the greatest defensive back to ever play football, Colorado also has Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp as their pass rush coordinator. The Buffaloes hired former NFL quarterback and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich as an assistant coach earlier this offseason.

Additionally this offseason, Sanders hired 15-year NFL veteran nose tackle Domata Peko as defensive line coach.