The extreme sport of MMA is not only the fastest growing sport in the world, but also the most alluring to former players of the NFL. Dozens of former NFL players have since traded in their helmets and jerseys for fight gear.
Known former NFL players Marcus Jones, Matt Mitrione, Brendan Schaub, Wes Shrivers, Johnnie Morton, Michael Westbrook, Brian Dawkins, and now Herschel Walker. The names listed are only a quarter of a couple dozen professional football players who has since converted to the bloodthirsty world of MMA.
Let’s take 47 year old Herschel Walker for example. The man loves to compete, and unlike hundreds of other retired NFL athletes who turn to golf, Walker has chosen one of the most brutal and under estimated sports to spend his silver years messing around with. As far as any sane fellow is concerned, MMA is hazardous to ones health. Unlike players of the NFL, MMA athletes do not utilize protective helmets to protect their brains noses and ears. Coli flower ears, disintegrated noses, dislocated fingertips and toes, it all comes with the show.
What does old Walker think about these unpleasant risks? "Why not?" Walker says. "I'm very competitive. This is one of the most competitive sports out there today. I'm still at the age where I can do it."
Walker is a brave man indeed. He truly believes he has what it takes to succeed in MMA. His advantages include the fact that he trained and competed in taekwondo as a young kid, currently practices in kickboxing, and has a powerful body core, courtesy of the many years he spent kicking rump in the NFL.
Hype aside, some critics think Herschel is in the process of walking his way right into the path of a moving train. Walkers own collage coach Vince Dooley is one of these critics who truly believes Walker is in way over his head. Will Walker end up licking his own blood on the canvas just like crossover athletes Johnnie Morton, and Jose Canseco?
Here’s what Walker had to say about Morton and Canesco: "They didn't go out and train," Walker says. "I think it was insulting. I'm at AKA training with some of the best fighters to learn how to do this. "It's not like this is a joke or a circus for me
