By Daniel Vreeland

Former NFL All-Pro defensive lineman Greg Hardy piqued the MMA world’s attention recently with his back-to-back amateur wins in a month’s time. 

While Hardy is the football star turned MMA prospect currently garnering attention, he is far from being the first gridiron hero to move into the cage. 

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Athletes such as Herschel Walker, Matt Mitrione, and Brendan Schaub all spent time on MMA rosters and practice squads before making the switch. 

Although his football career was short-lived, undefeated middleweight Eryk Anders is the biggest name currently in the UFC with a football background. After winning a national title with Alabama in 2009 and then signing with the Cleveland Browns, Anders left the game of football. Although he didn’t leave a massive footprint in his original sport, his undefeated record in the realm of combat is turning heads. 

Given his knowledge of how the two sports work, Top Turtle MMA decided to see who Anders thought could successfully cross over from the NFL to MMA today. 

“Man, that is a tough question, especially considering the caliber of athletes that I played with,” Anders said. “It’d be tough to just try and name a few people.”

Given that he was unable to narrow it down to just one, Anders listed three of his top picks instead.

Mark Barron - Linebacker - LA Rams

“I think Mark Barron would be an extremely good MMA fighter,” Anders said of his former teammate — a trend you will see in all of his picks. 

The Los Angeles Rams linebacker is well known for his physicality on the field, but he is also an excellent athlete. In high school, Barron was a track and field star, holding records in both running and throwing events. For Anders, that makes him the perfect candidate. 

Dont’a Hightower - Linebacker - New England Patriots

“Dont’a Hightower, especially in the heavyweight division. I feel like that division is thin as it is,” Anders continued. “He’d probably have the most success because of the division itself.”

Hightower’s NFL.com profile lists him at 265 pounds — the heavyweight maximum. So, he’s already fit for the division in that way. In addition, he's a hard hitter with excellent instincts, something that would serve him well inside the cage.  

Julio Jones - Wide Receiver - Atlanta Falcons

“Julio Jones would make a fantastic fighter," Anders said of the superstar wide receiver. 

Jones is known for his incredible hands, which might just translate to the boxing aspect of the MMA game. He’s also known to be a genetic freak, a physically imposing wideout at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds with unfair quickness and acceleration. 

Each of these players is an incredible athlete, there is no doubt there, but the major question is whether or not they can make the jump. Being an athlete certainly helps, but there's more to becoming a fighter than speed and size. It’s a question sports fans — and MMA fans in particular — love to ponder. 

Anders, with the inside knowledge, feels he’s got the answer. 

“I think all of those guy can make a transition seamlessly into many other sports,” Anders said of Barron, Hightower, and Jones. “All of those guys are built for explosiveness and short-area movements. They have work ethic.”