"The new kid on the block was fresh, confident and at times brash. The reigning champ was seasoned, proud and ripe with experience.

Some degree of friction was inevitable between young Steven Jackson and veteran Marshall Faulk in 2004 and '05.

"Of course, you saw two great runners," Jackson said. "One toward the end of his career; one starting his career. And I think the friction people may have assumed was there - was competitive spirit. One not really wanting or knowing how to let go; and one not being humble enough to let him go out gracefully."

And now, seemingly in the blink of an eye, Faulk is on the doorstep of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps the greatest all-purpose back in NFL history, Faulk will be enshrined Saturday in Canton, Ohio.

Jackson, meanwhile, is entering his eighth NFL season, and now much closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

Over the years, the relationship between Faulk and Jackson has grown and matured, as have both men themselves. Jackson was a "roaster" during a recent toast and roast of Faulk in St. Louis.

"Our relationship now is fine, it's great," Jackson said. "He's always one of the first guys to call me when I accomplish things. Like when I passed E.D. (Eric Dickerson, on the Rams career rushing list.) He was the first person to call me when I was drafted with the Rams."

Even so, those first two seasons for Jackson in St. Louis, particularly his rookie season in 2004, were challenging."