Oh man, just gotta love this. Herschel Walker says he can still play.

[Doomsday]

And I don't doubt it one bit.

Herschel Walker, 53, says he could still play in the NFL - CBSSports.com

The general consensus in the NFL is that once a running back hits the age of 30, his production starts to decline.

Don't tell that to Herschel Walker, though, because that's nonsense to him.

During an interview on Thursday, the former NFL running back said he thinks he could suit up and play in the NFL right now. At age 53.

"There is not a doubt in my mind, if I played today, I (could) contribute to a team," Walker told Boomer & Carton.

Walker seems to think he'd fit right in with today's NFL, where almost every team has some sort of "running back-by-committee."

"Let me tell you the reason why [I can play]," Walker said. "Running backs today don't play every play. They only play, like, a couple of plays and they go out of the game."

Walker also thinks his 53-year-old body could help out at another position.

"I can return kickoffs," Walker said. "I still run very well, like I've always (run). So I know I can be a positive thing."

I'm not completely sold on this yet, but from a fantasy standpoint, I'm convinced enough that I'd take Walker over Trent Richardson.

So why hasn't Walker returned to the NFL?

"I thought about it, but I'm still fighting," Walker said. "I've gotta get out of the fighting first. Once I get out of the MMA stuff, then I may go back and play. I want to be the George Foreman of football."

That "fighting" Walker is referring to is Mixed Martial Arts. The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner has been partaking in MMA for the past five years.

According to Walker, MMA has been keeping him in such good shape that he can still run a blazing fast 40.

"The last time I ran a 40, I ran a 4.3," Walker said. "That was like a year ago. That was when I had not been doing any track work. All I had been doing was [MMA]."

On the other hand, it's been almost 20 years since Walker played in the NFL. The former Cowboys, Eagles, Vikings and Giants running back last played in the league in 1997 and he's now older than 17 of the NFL's 32 head coaches.

For the record, the oldest player to ever play in an NFL game was George Blanda, who suited up in 1975 at age 48 for the Raiders. More recently, there was kicker Morten Anderson, who played for the Falcons in 2007 at age 47.

Anyway, the good news here is that if you're favorite team should happen to be in the market for a 53-year-old running back at any point this season, you'll know there's one available.

Wouldn't it be great to get Hershel for the veteran's minimum, and have him back out there with a star on his hat for a THIRD run as a Cowboy?

 

[Doomsday]

DO IT Herschel!

 

[Rock Slamdance]

No.

 

[w8lifter]

And I don't doubt it one bit.

Herschel Walker, 53, says he could still play in the NFL - CBSSports.com

Wouldn't it be great to get Hershel for the veteran's minimum, and have him back out there with a star on his hat for a THIRD run as a Cowboy?

I would love to see him give it a try.

I would not doubt he could do well running behind our O-Line. He's probably still in good shape. Im not sure if he still has the same workout ritual from 20 years ago. He used to do 5000 pushs & situps every day before he started training with the team......... even when he came back to play for us in the late 1990's.

 

[w8lifter]

I still have this famous Herschel Walker quote in my Sig file @ Cowboys Zone:

'If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat." Herschel Walker

 

[Doomsday]

I would love to see him give it a try.

I would not doubt he could do well running behind our O-Line. He's probably still in good shape. Im not sure if he still has the same workout ritual from 20 years ago. He used to do 5000 pushs & situps every day before he started training with the team......... even when he came back to play for us in the 1990's.

I still have this famous Herschel Walker quote in my Sig file @ Cowboys Zone:

'If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat." Herschel Walker

Dude is a beast but being in shape and cardio conditioned and can still run the 40 is all well and good, taking blows at age 53, dunno. Would love to see him again in a Cowboys uniform though, love to see him give it a shot at that age.

 

[w8lifter]

I bet Jerry would love to use him as a PR stunt, too.

 

[Doomsday]

I bet Jerry would love to use him as a PR stunt, too.

Hell he might even get me into his gaudy, garish self parody of a stadium for the first time.

 

[Doomsday]

What if he did 350 carries and gained 1600 yards. Whatta story that would be.

 

[w8lifter]

What if he did 350 carries and gained 1600 yards. Whatta story that would be.

He'd be poster material for AARP and other 'mature adults' fitness publications for sure.

 

[Doomsday]

He'd be poster material for AARP and other 'mature adults' fitness publications for sure.

He could join George Foreman in the griller commercials! Maybe even let Jerruh tag along.

 

[Sheik]

Athletic freak.

But let's be real here.

 

[Doomsday]

Right this minute on the SEC network they're showing a 1980 game between Georgia and SC. Walker is a freshman in this and is coming off a Georgia record 238 rushing yards vs. Vanderbilt.

35 frikkin years ago. Tear away jerseys. George Rogers carrying the ball for SC. It was another planet and I think that's where Herschel's from too. He might be a space Ale Yun.

 

[bbgun]

[video=youtube;ZZAtXSPDzrA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZAtXSPDzrA&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[cmd34]

Greatest football player ever.

 

[NoShame]

It's great he's still in shape at 53 but the man had only two 1000+ yard seasons in his 12 year NFL career. Couldn't do it then, wouldn't be able to do it now.

Best he could offer would be as a kick returner. And at age 53.... GTFOH.

 

[Doomsday]

Greatest football player ever.

In that game I mentioned earlier he carried 43 times for 219, and only got stronger as the game progressed. Never broke any really long runs, just kept having same plays in the 4th quarter go for 11 and 12, when in the 1st quarter they were only good for 3 or 4.

the man had only two 1000+ yard seasons in his 12 year NFL career.

One of those happened to be the only season in Dallas when he wasn't splitting carries with one Tony Dorsett. The next season he was traded in what's gone down in history as a rather significant deal. Dude needed 260 carries to get his 1000 yds and every time he got that, he got the 1000. Every. Time.

And at age 53.... GTFOH.

Most everyone that age thinks he can still play. They can't. But, wouldn't you like seeing him try?

 

[bbgun]

loved Herschel, but he was a terrible lateral runner. any play that forced him left or right was dead in the water. come to think of it, Emmitt too.

 

[Doomsday]

loved Herschel, but he was a terrible lateral runner. any play that forced him left or right was dead in the water. come to think of it, Emmitt too.

I think both were at least as dangerous if not more, catching passes and running with them. Especially Walker. Emmitt was quite a bit more nifty than Herschel, could change direction laterally pretty fair, and not taking the solid hits nearly as much. Neither guy was Dorsett or Dickerson, of course.

Walker made most of his yards against defenses keyed to stop him, when he was on teams such as Dooley's Bulldogs where the whole offense was built around him. It was good enough for a Heisman and a national championship though.