Herschel has ‘no doubt’ he could play in NFL (but won’t)
Doesn't everybody have abs like Herschel Walker at the age of 48?
So of all the possible ways the Falcons can improve themselves this offseason, would signing a 48-year-old running back fit into the equation?
Yes, Herschel Walker says he could still play football. Yes, he says if he ever attempted a comeback in the NFL, it would be in Atlanta. But before you add one plus one and get 37 — like some in cyberspace are doing — the answer is no: He is not pursuing a return to football.
I bring this up because a headline on an AOL/Fanhouse story Monday read: “Herschel Walker, 48, Ponders NFL Comeback.” It might as well have read, “Elvis spotted at Smyrna Waffle House.” When I informed Walker of the headline, he laughed.
However, the former Georgia and NFL star, turned MMA fighter, didn’t laugh about his potential to still perform at a high level.
“I was asked [on a conference call earlier Monday] if I thought I could still play football, and my answer is yes,” Walker said by phone. “There’s no doubt in my mind. I couldn’t play every snap, but most running backs today don’t play every snap. I joked that when I turned 50, maybe I’ll comeback and be the George Foreman of the NFL. If I played for anybody, it would be for Atlanta, since that’s my home team.”
But is this something Walker actually is entertaining?
“No, it was just a question a reporter asked,” he said. “I haven’t had any thought about it. I’ve been into MMA now for a little over a year and I’m enjoying it. I’m watching [football] games but I haven’t had any thought about playing again.”
I’ll say this for Walker: While Evander Holyfield (also 48) is hurting his legacy by continuing to box, Walker hasn’t embarrassed himself in any of his ventures. He’s 1-0 in MMA and fights again Saturday night. As you can see by the picture, he’s also in pretty good shape. He says he weighs 219 to 220 pounds
“I’m in better shape now than when I played,” he said.
Walker lives in Dallas but he still maintains a home in the Atlanta area, his parents live in south Georgia and he owns a food services company in Savannah. While I had him on the phone, I figured I might as well ask him about a few other subjects:
♦On the recent struggles at Georgia: “One of the things that’s happened is we’ve been losing so many kids coming out of high school to out of state college. They’re not going to the University of Georgia, and I’ve been sort of hurt by it. I’ve talked to coach [Mark] Richt and I’ve spoken to Greg McGarity and I’ve told them I’d like to get involved and help them in any way I can. But I’m not sure what the NCAA would allow me to do.”
♦ On the NCAA: “Sometimes I just don’t understand what they’re doing. They let the kids at Ohio State play [in the Sugar Bowl] and suspend them next year [for selling merchandise] but they suspend A.J. Green for four games right away. They let Cam Newton play and he wins the Heisman and Auburn wins the national championship but they say they’re still investigating. That should be behind them by now. It’s not fair for me to judge what Cam Newton knew or didn’t know, but to me the NCAA should’ve dealt with it and moved on. They shouldn’t be able to go back now and do something. It seems like sometimes the NCAA says, ‘We’re just too busy now.’ They need swift justice.”
♦ On his next career: “I wouldn’t mind getting into a front office in the NFL. Maybe something in personnel, because I know talent and I know the business side of it. Maybe even be a commentator. It’s something I’ve turned down for a long time.”
♦ On the Falcons: “I thought they were going to the Super Bowl. That’s what I was telling everybody. I was shocked when they lost to Green Bay the way they did.”
By the looks of this picture from his last bout, I would put Walker on defense.
Embedding code to Herschel Walker's first MMA bout has been pulled off of YouTube for copyright but this picture tells a thousand words (and punches).
By Jeff Schultz
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155 comments Add your comment
UGA crybabies
January 25th, 2011
10:41 am
“Thanks for the grammar lesson on a sports blog. Ill be more careful next time. ‘
You’ll also notice that it took an Auburn fan to correct a UGA fans grammatical error. LOL
“And yes obviously I was talking about size not population.”
Then be specific in your claim, Forrest.
“Although Auburn fans have never really been masters of the obvious.”
How’s this for obvious, Gump. 14-0.
WDE
January 25th, 2011
10:42 am
Irrelevence* on all the above. Not my favorite word to spell.
UGA crybabies
January 25th, 2011
10:44 am
“Weve been able to talk about whipping Auburn 5 of the last 6 years.”
Again with the grammatical errors. It’s WE’VE, not weve, Gump. Oh, and if you want to talk past, fine. Auburn owns UGA in the all-time record.
“Enjoy your one little blip. Now back to being irrelevant and mediocre.”
Irrelevant and mediocre describes UGA football to a T. Considering you gals just had back to back mediocre seasons and all.
Again, we went 14-0, Gump.
UGA crybabies
January 25th, 2011
10:45 am
WDE
UGA hasn’t been relevant since 1980. UGA is now the Ole Miss of the SEC Least. UGA can’t even beat Colorado let alone beat a ranked team.
It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger!
gatorman770
January 25th, 2011
10:48 am
He’s as delusional as Holyfield.
Auburn OWNS UGA
January 25th, 2011
10:48 am
UGA fans,
You’re football program sucks. Your coaching staff sucks. Your mascot sucks. Your hedges suck. Your players go to jail. Your coach has no control over his players. Your athletic director was arrested for being drunk. A UGA staff member was arrested for child pornography. Your team was 6-7. Your team didn’t beat one ranked team. Your team went and lost to UCF. Your team lost in the Liberty Bowl. UGA hasn’t gone undefeated since 1980.
So, you still want to trash talk, losers?
Nick Failey makes dawg fans wet their diapers
January 25th, 2011
10:52 am
Hey UGA fans,
Do you still have nightmares about me pile driving Aaron Murray into the ground?
Do you still have nightmares of that 49-31 beat down in Auburn?
Do you still have nightmares of me going number one in the draft?
Do you still have nightmares of me not getting penalized in the AU/UGA game?
Do you guys have nightmares of me winning the Lombardi Trophy?
Do you guys have nightmares of me holding up the BCSNC trophy in Glendale?
Do you guys have nightmares about me winning defensive player of the game?
You guys should stick to women’s gymnastics because it’s the only thing UGA sports is good at.
WDE
January 25th, 2011
10:53 am
It blows my mind that one day Georgia fans are complaining about oversigning and OLine coaches and Bobo sucking, all while continuing to trash the national champions. What the h&&& is going through yalls heads?
Another fans in the SEC aren’t complaining like yall. Try blocking for Murray next year since he’s the only player you’ve got.
UGA crybabies
January 25th, 2011
10:56 am
WDE
Some, not all, UGA fans are pathetic. They’re jealous and angry because their own football program is a bottom tier SEC team.
WDE
January 25th, 2011
11:00 am
Here’s a summary of UGA football:
- They think their hedges are the best thing to ever happen to college football (pretty much everyone in the SEC has hedges)
- Don’t even have an original fight song (heck, the rest of the SEC also plays Battle Hymn of the Republic after touchdowns) “Glory glory to Ole Georgia?” Are you kidding me?
- When the above are true, have the audacity to belittle other school’s traditions, such as War Eagle, despite having no unique traditions of their own. It’s no wonder they can’t understand when you try to explain them to woof woof fans
- Offseason arrests (Fulmer Cup baby)
- A coach who’d rather do a triple-tuck off the diving board than compete in the SEC East
- Complain about other SEC schools oversigning, then offer a kid without any scholarships just to attract his teammate Crowell (for the record, Auburn doesn’t have a problem oversigning, but I’m not complaining that others do it)
- Have to go with their 5th choice for defensive coordinator
- Can’t get alumni to come back and coach
- Have a bunch of quitters
- Have a sense of entitlement to instate recruits despite showing they do less with more better than anyone else
- AND: They are the first one’s to preach irrelevence to a team that owns the record and took care of them on the way to a National Title.
If yall can find a way to incorporate all the above into an actual fight song, you’d be moving in the right direction.
Dirty Pimp
January 25th, 2011
11:03 am
What time/channel does Herschel fight?
schmeckdawg
January 25th, 2011
11:12 am
Herschel could go back and play at a Division III school since they don’t have any eligibilty rules. By that I mean you still get 5 years to play four, but, your eligibilty doesn’t start ASAP like in D1 or D1-AA so you can come back at anytime/any age to play your final year(s) and since Herschel only played 3 years @ The UGA, he would still have one year of eligibility remaining. Would love to see #34 between the lines one more time!
WDE
January 25th, 2011
11:17 am
Would the fact that he went pro and lost amateur status not get in the way of that?
UGASlobberknocker
January 25th, 2011
11:19 am
I love Herschel amd he’s a UGA icon, but he has always been a little bit out in the ozone in my opinion..and has always had the same kind of “look at me” thing going as Favre does. Still love Herschel though..
“”My God, A Freshman!!”
HAHA
January 25th, 2011
11:22 am
Get a life ugay fans…. your program is an embarrassment to the rest of the state and has become a laughing stock to TRUE ELITE PROGRAMS. Where else can you turn top 10 recruiting classes into a sub-500 team?!?
By the way… Herschel is a JOKE, he wouldn’t make it through practice.
dean
January 25th, 2011
11:27 am
Oh Herschel we love you, but, when you make statements like that I wonder why you haven’t yet become the FBI agent you said you wanted to be.
It also brings back a Jethro Moment: “I ain’t decided yet , Granny. I’m either gonna be a brain surgeon or a short order cook.”
Ted Striker
January 25th, 2011
11:54 am
Crybabies — I’m impressed at someone posting so frequently on a single blog yet managing to say nothing. Kudos.
tim
January 25th, 2011
11:58 am
Sure…..he could play in the NFL because they still don’t have a rule that players need to be able to read.
Dumb A$$.
papadawg
January 25th, 2011
12:00 pm
If HW wants to do anything he can join the Dawgs as a running back coach and teach our timid running backs how to run
playthatfunkymusicwhiteboy
January 25th, 2011
12:16 pm
Just look at the pic – I’ll be 80% of the current Falcons roster doesn’t look like that without a shirt on. I bumped into Herschel in the airport in Houston about a year ago – and I told someone that I could tell right then he could still play, even with a suit and tie on. And to top it off, he was holding a very polite conversation with a total stranger about the glory days of UGA football. Class act all the way.
UGA crybabies
January 25th, 2011
12:23 pm
“I’m impressed at someone posting so frequently on a single blog yet managing to say nothing.”
Not my fault that you can’t read, Forrest.
UGA crybabies
January 25th, 2011
12:23 pm
“I’ll be 80% of the current Falcons roster doesn’t look like that without a shirt on.”
Are you coming out of the closet or something?
haha
January 25th, 2011
12:23 pm
It would be funny if 5 years from now they rule Cam ineligible anfd take back the National Championship lol
Where is Charles Barkley?
January 25th, 2011
12:36 pm
Cam Newton became the first black quarterback to win the Heisman in the SEC yet no one is talking about it.
Sack Shultz
January 25th, 2011
12:38 pm
Hey Jeff,
when are you going to announce the winner of your bowl pics?
Reeves
January 25th, 2011
12:40 pm
I guess crybabie will be on here til Mommie makes him go to bed.
Scooter
January 25th, 2011
12:53 pm
When I read what UGA fans think of Hershel, I can completely understand their love and admiration. He made UGA football. He made Vince Dooley’s career. He won them a title and had them poised to win two more. However, the stupidity of thinking he could walk in and star for the Falcons, coach RB’s, be the S&C coach, etc. is a bit over the top. By the way, those coaches have degrees. As far as his being able to convince any and all recruits to come to UGA, none of these recruits were alive when he played at UGA. They do not even know him from the pros. Do not allow your own longing for a return to UGA’s best days to cloud your judgement.
Geeves
January 25th, 2011
1:17 pm
Reeves
Speaking of crybabies, did you guys ever get over Nick Fairley destroying your entire offensive line?
tiger7_88
January 25th, 2011
1:30 pm
Dirty Dawg: Whatever makes you sleep better at night thinking about your irrelevant football program, brother. Don’t stop believin’!
Headley Lamar: Don’t be jealous because you know you’re a fan of a program that’s going nowhere at mach speed. I would say come’on over to the good (Auburn) side, but the collective IQ of the Auburn Family would take quite a hit if you did. So you just stay right where you are taking your remedial English classes from the Athens Community College for Thugs and Misfits, mmK?
Ex-great Walker says he can still play – FOXSports.com | Bet 31
January 25th, 2011
1:51 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
January 25th, 2011
2:04 pm
Just read an article on the AJC. A survey was conducted and asked the following question:
If you had to make a choice, would you dump your significant other or your pet?
A large majority said they would dump the significant other (The Human).
You dog lovers are some serious “Sick” puppies
MountainDawg
January 25th, 2011
2:38 pm
Herschel is in phenominal shape for a 28 year old…much less being 48. He’s a top notch athlete, but he’s still too green to face top tier fighters in MMA. Strikeforce is feeding him tomato cans like Nagy & Carson, because he’d get smoked by top HWs like Barnett & Fedor.
GIVE ME A BREAK
January 25th, 2011
3:27 pm
These old athletes just don’t think their sport can go on without them. Kind of sad.
Herschel walker wants NFL return!!! - Page 2 - The Warpath
January 25th, 2011
3:44 pm
[...] [...]
righteous
January 25th, 2011
3:58 pm
I have a nursing home bound aunt who could kick hershel walker’s you know what. He’s a prima donna who never was any good4 nuthin’.
I was a great football player, but the coach was too busy looking at the cheerleaders to notice anything I did. It’s not fair!!!
The world is filled with Hitlers!!!
RussDawg
January 25th, 2011
4:15 pm
I’d like to see him in Athens coaching the O’Line !
Good grief it would have to be an improvement.
npgator
January 25th, 2011
4:20 pm
Do it!
Herschel Walker
January 25th, 2011
4:21 pm
I would love to play football for them there Falcons! I could use another black Trans Am though I don’t think they could pay me as much as Vince did.
gdawginkalamazoo
January 25th, 2011
4:32 pm
Yes, make Herschel the recruiting coordinator. Take every 5* from the state of Georgia and make them get into the ring with Herschel. If they can last 3 minutes they can go anywhere they want to. If not they are UGA bound.
He was the greatest running back in the history of college football so far. Hands down. Barry Sanders was the best NFL RB to date.
Craigus
January 25th, 2011
6:07 pm
Let somebody…anybody…say the name “Herschel” and the Dawgs start yelling what a great NFL player he could still be. Herschel had his chance at UGA but took money under the table. He had his chance in the NFL but got drunk on Donald Trump’s wine. He got a second chance in the NFL but couldn’t cut it. So now ya’ll want him to line up in the Falcon’s backfield and he’ll be 49 this year?? Those 50-year old bones would snap like a pretzel.
Gatorman
January 25th, 2011
6:11 pm
I respect the career Herschel had at UGA, and even in the pros. However, he left the pros because of his diminished skills, decades ago, but now he recaptures what he had before those diminished skills. Give me a break, just a publicity hound.
Sports Review
January 25th, 2011
6:31 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Herschel Walker’s NFL Return Talk Just PR; 48-Year-Old Focused On MMA | DAILYSPORTS NEWS TRENDS
January 25th, 2011
6:45 pm
[...] Holyfield’s constant attempts at coming back to the sport that defines him. But Walker insists he was only playing along with a reporter’s question and has no intention of returning to pro [...]
blord
January 25th, 2011
7:06 pm
I believe Steve Spurrier could take HW down.
Jimmy
January 25th, 2011
8:54 pm
zoo JIM BROWN was the BEST running back ever………
Ted Striker
January 25th, 2011
9:10 pm
Crybabies — It’s closing time and you’re still the fat girl going home by herself.
TCCB
January 25th, 2011
9:25 pm
any help!!!!! would be great!!!!!!!
WorDuP
January 25th, 2011
9:39 pm
For people who most likely never played the game I understand you hating the fact that Walker could still play. He’s a freak of nature.
old man
January 25th, 2011
10:08 pm
walker wasn’t that good when he played the first time. He needs to head to the old folks home and give it up.
Herschel Walker the goalline stalker
January 25th, 2011
10:47 pm
Everyone downing Herschels NFL career forget that Minnesota traded their whole team for him. He had no offensive line and was watsed at Minnesota. Meanwhile Emmitt Smith benefited tremendously from the outstanding O-line at Dallas. I truly believe that Herschel would have put up monster numbers had he been the) at Dallas instead of Emmitt.Even with all the bad teams he was with he finished 8th in total yardage in the history of the NFL. He was a once in a lifetime athlete and hands down the best college running of all time. No argument!