Herschel Walker has had many roles in his life, from dominant college football player to author of a book about his mental health problems.

Along the way there was a stint as one of the faces of the United States Football League and a decade-long career in the N.F.L. He also competed in the 1992 Olympics in the bobsled.

At age 47, he is taking on a new challenge: mixed martial arts.

Walker has signed a multifight contract with Strikeforce, an MMA organization that is trying to challenge the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Walker, who is not the first former N.F.L. player to try to start a career in the cage, has been seen in the crowds at high-profile mixed martial arts events recently. He has trained in various martial arts going back to his college days. Despite his age, this is not seen as a publicity stunt. His background in the sport is more solid than Jose Canseco’s. Canseco had a few celebrity boxing matches before attempting a high-profile MMA bout in Japan.

Strikeforce, which has a deal to televise some of its fights on CBS, recently beat out the UFC and signed Fedor Emelianenko to a contract. Emelianenko is widely believed to be the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world. Walker, who is a year older than the UFC star Randy Couture, will also compete at heavyweight.



Extra point: Walker is one of the 131 candidates on the preliminary list of modern-era nominees for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Pro Football Reference blog has him well down the list of deserving candidates. Walker was an unforgettable college player, and didn’t live up to expectations in the pros. But his N.F.L. numbers weren’t shabby: 35th in career total yards from scrimmage and eighth in career all-purpose yards. Taking into account his time in the U.S.F.L., do you think Walker deserves a spot in the Hall?