Pro Football Hall of Famer and New Orleans native Marshall Faulk will be taking center stage at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.
The longtime superstar running back was announced as Sodexo Live!'s Chief Flavor Officer on Thursday. He'll serve in the role in the week leading up to the Super Bowl at the Superdome. Faulk will work with the company's culinary team to curate a special menu for the game, and wants to showcase the essence of New Orleans cuisine in the process. Per Sodexo Live!, fans can also expect "tried and true classics from the Sodexo Live! playbook, like locally-sourced jambalaya, seafood nachos, king cake and beignets, enhanced with modern twists that celebrate the city’s diverse food culture."
Faulk spoke to about the announcement, what the full-circle moment means to him given his background growing up in New Orleans and working at the Superdome in concessions, and what he's looking forward to the most about being Chief Flavor Officer during Super Bowl week.
Sports Illustrated: How did this all come together?
Marshall Faulk: I first met with Sodexo Live! maybe two years ago. At that point in time we were just talking about things at the Super Bowl, what we do and different experiences. Then the call happened, maybe early this football season, about what they wanted to do and the plans that they had. I don’t know at the time if they remembered I worked illegally at the Superdome as a kid. But being from New Orleans, working in the Superdome selling popcorn, peanuts, sodas, and stuff like that, it was a seamless connection as to Sodexo getting their name out, allowing people to understand what they do as a brand. But also in the live space as well and all that they bring to the table.
Being the person who will help out during the Super Bowl is something I’m looking forward to. Going around Radio Row, talking about the cuisine, the famous cuisine of New Orleans and all the flavor that we bring together. It’s kind of like the Super Bowl. People coming in from everywhere, all over the world, it’s one big pot of gumbo. I think they’re getting it right, and for me and my brand, I feel this is the type of company, the type of entity that I like being associated with as well.
SI: How does this fit into your brand?
MF: What I like to do is entertain. I like to provide people with the different opportunities in life, understanding and educating the youth. Especially the high school athlete of today providing them the resources to make better decisions. That's what I call it because, in the NIL space and also the collective space where these kids are now coming into money, knowing the different things and topics that they are going to have to speak on and know about. The collegiate athlete is no longer. You're a professional now. You're getting paid. Making sure that they understand that. And the resources in the different entities that they work with as well, putting those resources back into the different communities where they have the venues. I talked to Sodexo about what I do in the charity space and then they shared with me some of the things that they do, some of the opportunities that they present to the local communities where they work and how they do things. I just said to myself, this is something I want to be a part of.
SI: How does that charitable aspect work into your role at the Super Bowl?
MF: You'll see me out, free of charge, giving people, whether it's food, providing them information about what Sodexo Live! does as a company, about New Orleans, cuisine. Most of the things that we're doing are free of charge. You know, we just want the fan to have the experience. We’ll be doing something on Radio Row, not just the interview component, but also provide an opportunity to taste different foods. It might be a selected food that I'll get to choose and provide to them. We know that there's a taste of the Super Bowl, but we want to give them an even bigger taste of what, as a brand, is being brought to the table and the food that you can expect that's going to be at the Superdome.
SI: Food is such a big part of the culture in New Orleans. How do you hope to show that to all the different types of people who will come into town for the Super Bowl?
MF: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. I tell people about being a New Orleanian, being born and raised there, the only thing we do better than food is hospitality. So when you come down in New Orleans, you're going to get some very hospitable people. They're gonna smile, they're going to be very jovial. They're gonna, you know, “Sir, yes, sir, yes, ma’am,” you and then we're gonna make sure that you have a good time. On top of that we're going to give you good food. We're going to feed you. We're gonna provide you enough comfort food and enough good food for you to have a really good time and go home wishing and waiting for the next time you come back.
SI: What does it mean to experience this full-circle moment, where you used to work selling popcorn in the Superdome and now you’ll be one of the faces of a Super Bowl being held at the Superdome?
MF: It means a lot to me, my family, my friends. Unfortunately, I only came back to New Orleans playing against the Saints and I was like the hometown enemy. Because although they loved me, the passion for the Saints is so deeply rooted. If you've been to a game, you understand how diehard they are. And even from the days when I was a major fan and we were the 'Aints, we still showed up to the games. We put bags on our heads, but we still showed up to the games and it says something about the passion that goes there. But, you know, making sure that people understand the significance of the city and what we bring to the table and how we are place for the Super Bowl. There are a lot of big cities that are, you know, ‘Oh yeah, we're Super Bowl.’ We’re not a big city, but we the Super Bowl. We’re able to make sure that people have a good time, enjoy themselves, and get the best of both worlds in the sense that there’s not many Super Bowls where as long as you're on Canal Street and the surrounding areas, you can walk to the game. It's pretty easy to get around.
SI: A big part of every Super Bowl is introducing local culture to the thousands of fans flocking in from all over the world, but your role as Chief Flavor Officer feels like more significant endeavor given how important food is to New Orleans. How are you mentally approaching your duties?
MF: Just making sure that the messaging is on point, that people understand what we're trying to do is highlight one of the great attributes of our city, one of the things that we showcase better than anybody else. Not looking at it as pressure or anything like that. You know what it is? I'm just delivering the information. The food tells the story. And when it hits your mouth and hits your belly, you'll understand. It's not on me to cook it and make it right, but when I highlight it, the ingredients of the process and what goes into it, all of the foods are made with love.
Our plan is to seduce you with food and and and really make sure that you understand that we do hospitality better than anybody. With that hospitality, we are going to greet you and we are going to feed you.
SI: What's your favorite food from when you were growing up?
MF: Man, I wish I could tell you. I mean, you give me jambalaya. Definitely crawfish. I'm all in. I'm a gumbo guy. And then I get basic, I love red beans and rice cooked the right way. There's just so many ways to go there. You can get me the charbroiled oysters, you can give me the Rockefeller oysters, you could just give me the plain old oysters.
I always mess around with people. I say New Orleans is the last frontier where when you walk in, you're not allowed to ask for anything gluten-free, anything sugar-free. And you can get away with it, not having an option. If you don't have an option, people don't even get mad. It's just like, okay, I'll try it. The experience is so good.
