Herschel Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL Pro Bowl selection, has signed a multi-fight contract with Strikeforce, the promotion announced on Monday.
Eying a professional mixed martial arts debut with the company sometime in early 2010, Walker -- who will compete as a heavyweight -- will begin a three-month training camp at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., next month. There, he will train under
Bob Cook, alongside UFC standouts
Josh Koscheck,
Mike Swick and
Jon Fitch.
“I flew to L.A. last month to watch Herschel train and was surprised to see his advanced wrestling and striking abilities,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said in a press release. “He’s got work ahead of him, but he’s committed to training at one of the most notable gyms in the sport of MMA, so it will be very interesting to watch him progress.”
Walker, who turns 48 in March, holds a fifth-degree black belt in tae kwon do.
“I’ve been training for several years,” Walker said in the release. “I would play college football games on Saturday and then compete in martial arts tournaments on Sunday after church. I’m now looking forward to opening up another chapter in my life and to competing in MMA.”
One of college football’s greatest players, he led the University of Georgia to an undefeated season and national championship as a freshman in 1980 and won the Heisman Trophy two years later. He rushed for 5,259 yards and 49 touchdowns in 33 games as a collegian and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
After a stint in the now-defunct United States Football League, Walker spent 12 seasons in the NFL with the Cowboys, Vikings, Eagles and Giants. The Wrightsville, Ga., native still ranks eighth on the all-time list with 18,168 all-purpose yards, ahead of such hall of famers as Marcus Allen, Thurman Thomas, Tony Dorsett and Jim Brown.
Even at his advanced age, Walker, who has been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated nine times, seems optimistic he can succeed in his new endeavor.
“I will go in there and test myself against any 20-year-old,” Walker said. “I know there will be naysayers, and I’m fine with that. I want to prove to people who sit on a couch and don’t do anything but criticize other people that, if you’re a true athlete or martial artist, you’re not old until you can’t get up and walk around anymore. MMA fighters are said to be some of the best athletes in the world. My plan at the age of 47 is to show the world I am still one of the best athletes, as well.”
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