Survival of the fittest

But then listen to his wife, Latisha, and his cousin, Ed Cormier. They'll talk about Faulk's power, how he's been running hard since the first day they met him.

''He's always getting over those obstacles," says Latisha. ''He just doesn't let anything hold him back."

Cormier says simply: ''He always comes up clutch. Any situation."

Last Saturday's wild-card playoff victory over the Jaguars was the latest example of the 29-year-old Faulk rising up in a clutch moment. He finished with a team-high 51 rushing yards on six carries and added 45 yards on four receptions, a performance that reflects his many skills. Over his seven-year career, all spent with the Patriots, Faulk has totaled 2,275 rushing yards and 2,079 receiving yards. He's had at least 40 rushes and 25 receptions in each of the last six seasons.

They aren't the type of numbers associated with a power back. But then again, that's only half the story. When Faulk considers his journey to this point, he can think of only word: survival. Latisha, who started dating Faulk in high school and married him in March 2000, said the word fits.

''He's been through so much, yet he's always overcoming everything."

Finding inner strength

After missing eight games with a foot injury, Faulk returned to the Patriots' lineup Dec. 4 against the Jets. His foot was fine, but he was playing with a heavy heart; his 23-month-old nephew Trevion had died unexpectedly the day before. Faulk and Latisha had been caring for Trevion for more than a year and ''considered him one of our own." They aren't comfortable discussing Trevion's death publicly.

Faulk left the team in the week leading up to the next game, against the Bills, because he was relied upon to help make funeral arrangements. The time away didn't hurt his performance in Buffalo. He ended up with six receptions for a season-high 71 yards in a resounding 35-7 win.

The power back was back.

Latisha has seen similar occurrences, her husband's resolve growing stronger with each obstacle in his path. In Faulk's college years at Louisiana State, Latisha had a miscarriage. When Faulk was 10, his brother Gerald was stabbed to death in a random act of violence. In September 2004, Faulk's mother, Vivian, lost her battle with leukemia.