Herschel Walker’s effect on mixed martial arts won’t be measured alone by how he does in the cage Saturday at Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg” at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.

Win or lose, the 48-year-old Walker (1-0) will walk away from his heavyweight bout against Scott Carson (4-1) with little to prove. Just getting in there at his age is a feat on its own.

But the legendary NFL running back has already left a greater mark at the American Kickboxing Academy, one of the country’s preeminent training facilities and home to more than a few of the world’s top-ranked fighters.

Walker, who began training at the San Jose Academy in October 2009, has risen as a leader among a room full of them. On any given day at AKA, after a brutal practice, the drenched athletes gather on the mat to talk about their progress. And though he’s far from the most talented or skilled fighter in the gym, Walker’s experience as a professional athlete is highly valued currency within the gym’s walls. When Walker speaks, everybody listens, his coaches included.

It wasn’t always that way. Javier Mendez, one of AKA’s three main instructors, admits he was skeptical the day the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner walked through the door.

“When they told me he was coming, I thought it was a joke,” Mendez said. “I didn’t take it very seriously. I wasn’t really interested because I thought he was doing it for a gimmick to get attention. He was a great football player, but this is MMA.”

But after training with him the first time, Mendez quickly realized Walker “was special.”

“He was very green, mind you, but his dedication and his learning curve was like nobody I’d ever trained,” Mendez said.

With only three months of training, Walker made a respectable pro debut, stopping Greg Nagy (then 0-1) with strikes in the third round at Strikeforce “Miami” in January 2010.

Walker’s participation garnered Strikeforce and the sport considerable attention, as he hoped it would. Much like the way he used his 2008 memoir “Breaking Free” to shed light on his struggles with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, Walker wielded his notoriety in support of MMA.

“[Former Dallas Cowboys] Coach [tom] Landry used to say if you take something out, you put something back in,” Walker said. “What I’ve gotten out of MMA is a lot of friendship, a lot of knowledge. I’ve gotten to know some great, great guys and that’s the reason why I want to help them be the best that they can be.”

Walker returned to AKA a month after his victory to continue training. At the time, it was uncertain if he was going to fight again, though the response that his first appearance received made him an appealing commodity for the promotion and Showtime, which broadcasts all of Strikeforce’s events.

“If a fight came about, I said I’d be happy to do it, but it wasn’t something I was looking for, something that I’m about,” Walker said. “I’m about conditioning, I’m about training. I was lucky to get that first fight.”

Walker, who lives in Dallas, took up residence in San Jose’s Fairmont Hotel, where he continued to run his businesses, including his Renaissance Man Food Services company, when he wasn’t training.  

“I sell chicken to them and they give me free room and board,” Walker said.

At AKA, Walker quietly earned his keep by being a team player. By summer, he was helping UFC heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez prepare for an October title bout against champion Brock Lesnar. 

“I got in the ring a little bit with Cain. I think the only way I helped him was for him to try and figure out how he was going to beat Brock up, so I gave him a chance to beat up on me,” Walker said. “When I got in the cage, I could hear Javier say, ‘Cain, don’t hurt him.’ ”

Like most, the AKA team marveled at Walker’s physical anomalies, including his much-documented practice of only eating a single meal each evening, usually consisting of soup and salad. At one practice, the team crowded around Walker to weigh him in on a scale beforehand, then scratched their heads when he didn’t shed a single pound following a particularly grueling workout.

By the fall, Walker was slated to face the 40-year-old Carson at a Dec. 4 event in St. Louis. However, Walker was forced to withdraw after he collided with a training partner and needed eight stitches for a cut under his left eye. After the injury, Walker told The Times that his biggest concern was that Carson wouldn’t be rescheduled to fight.

Instead of traveling home to Dallas to spend the holidays with his son, Walker stayed in San Jose to see through the final preparations of his teammates who still had bouts, including UFC welterweight contender Josh Koscheck.

Mendez said Walker’s commitment to the squad has bonded them closer together.  

“He’s there just not as a physical partner. He’s given a lot of mental guidance to some of the guys,” said Mendez. “He goes out of his way to make a fighter feel better, to see what he can do to help. He’s here more for the team than he is for himself. You can sometimes feel it in the way that he talks.

Walker’s influence has had far-reaching effect at AKA.

“I use Herschel on me,” Mendez said. “Sometimes I need things fixed that are broken and Herschel helps me see things correctly. I bounce my ideas and thoughts off of him because I respect what he has to say. He’s been there and done it.”

Mendez said Walker’s media savvy has been particularly beneficial for the team, especially with the higher profile fighters who’ve been disgruntled or disenchanted with their dealings with the press in the past.

“I’ve noticed a difference in the guys, especially with the ones that get attention, because they watch how Herschel manages to handle all of the media properly,” Mendez said. “He grants every single interview asked of him. I think it’s been extremely helpful for both the young up-and-coming guys, as well as the guys already out there in the spotlight.”

Luke Rockhold, a 26-year-old middleweight prospect rising fast through Strikeforce’s ranks, has grown very close with the four-franchise NFL great. Walker refers to Rockhold as his “little brother.”

“For someone like Herschel to reach the pinnacle and have all the fame that he has, to stay as humble and as cool as he is, it’s pretty refreshing,” Rockhold said. “I’ve traveled with him on PR trips, and he’s always trying to help you with your bags. He’s so down to earth.”

Walker, who turns 49 in March, has no illusions regarding his career. He knows he will never become an MMA champion in the time he has left to compete in the sport. Instead, Walker -- who donated his first purse to charity and plans to dole out at least a portion of his second after Saturday -- said he’ll gauge his own success in improved performances and what positive influence he can bring to the fighters and the sport as it continues its march into mainstream awareness.

“I’m happy that I can be one of the catalysts to help MMA get recognition,” Walker said. “I don’t think this sport has gotten the recognition it deserves. If I can help so the guys can make a little more money, get insurance, I would love that.”

-- Loretta Hunt

Writers from around Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Dom Amore, Hartford Courant

The coolest athlete playing today? Peyton Manning.

In a sport where trash-talking went over the top years ago and keeps on going, Manning has mastered the art of being open without being obnoxious. He does a ton of commercials, but has anyone ever said, hey, enough already? No, because they’re fun to watch. He has charisma, and he seems like  a natural when you’re watching those commercials.

Peyton also knows how to make fun of himself. And in a league where 'I' is fast replacing ‘we,’ especially among those who play football’s most demanding position, he still gets it, the team thing.

Could you imagine a cooler big brother? And while you’re imagining, Peyton Manning would be a great guy to have a beer with. Seems like he’d enjoy meeting you, and there would be a few laughs.

And, of course, he is pretty cool as a QB and leader, too.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune
 
The only way I can get away with picking an old white guy is to grade on a curve.
 
Really, how can golf’s Fred Couples compete with the likes of: David Beckham, who almost makes scarves look manly; Tom Brady, with his modified-Fabio hair and whiplash-hot wife; Rafael Nadal, who sports a silky name and tanned guns; and Dwyane Wade, who inspired Jay Z’s, “If Jeezy is payin’ LeBron, I’m payin’ Dwayne Wade”?
 
Couples has a mailman’s first name and is musically associated with Hootie & The Blowfish. But still … everything about his swing and look is smooth and effortless. He’s too cool to wear a golf glove –- or socks. The black-and-orange kicks he used at Augusta National last year were the talk of the Masters.
 
And if you ask him about being cool, he’ll probably shrug. Like all cool guys do.
  
NOTE: There’s a debate about whether the Jay-Z lyric is “Jeezy” or “Jesus.” My money’s on “Jeezy” …

[Updated at 10:35 a.m.

Barry Stavro, Los Angeles Times

An easy pick: Derek Jeter.

Sustained grace and excellence—on and off the diamond—for 16 seasons, dating back to the first term of the Clinton Administration.

Along the way he’s picked up five championships, 11 All-Star appearances, a World Series MVP, five Gold Gloves, has a Hall of Fame spot awaiting, and has done all this without any hint of being juiced. In a TMZ-era he’s avoided public spats with his managers, has broad respect from his peers, and a list of memorable plays—think of his shovel throw from the on-deck circle against the A’s in the playoffs—plus an eye for stylish clothes.

Jeter has also pulled off the rarest feat in pro sports: he plays hard every night.]

Photo: Peyton Manning. Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire.

With all of the excitement surrounding next week's signing day, it's easy to forget that college football doesn't always work out the way highly regarded recruits plan.

USC receiver Brice Butler is a case in point.

Butler's playing time diminished last season with the arrival of freshman Robert Woods, who started and went on to become a freshman All-American.

Butler announced this week via twitter that he is transferring.

Butler's father Bobby, a former NFL player, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that it was the "right move" and that USC Coach Lane Kiffin did not give his son a fair chance. You can read the whole post here.

This is one passage:

"Lane Kiffin did not give Brice a fair chance … no, he did not give him a fair chance at all,” [Bobby] Butler said.

“You take a kid who is a starter, then the next thing you know you put a kid who has only been [in college practice] for 10 days and start him in front of [Butler]. They didn’t even play the same [wide receiver positions].

“But it’s all good. It wasn’t meant to be at USC under Lane Kiffin, so he needs to go to a place that is right for him. We’re just going to keep moving forward, and everything is going to work out for Brice.”

--Gary Klein

Photo: Brice Butler. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times.

Former USC football coach John Robinson will assist the school's athletic development staff in outreach efforts throughout Orange County and San Diego, USC announced Thursday.

"We're excited to have John back among the Trojan family," Athletic Director Pat Haden said.  "He has always been a popular figure with our fans and we know he will be well received as he works with our donors in the Orange County and San Diego areas."

Robinson had two stints as the Trojans' head coach, from 1976 to 1982 and from 1993 to 1997. He guided USC to the 1978 national title and compiled a record of 104-35-4.

Robinson coached the NFL's Los Angeles Rams from 1983 to 1991 and was head coach at Nevada Las Vegas from 1999 to 2004.

-- Gary Klein

The drought in the desert continues.

UCLA arrived in Tucson with a four-game winning streak and departed with an 85-74 defeat by Arizona on Thursday night at the McKale Center, marking the Bruins' third consecutive loss here.

Defense was optional much of the game for UCLA (13-7 overall, 5-3 Pacific 10 Conference), which repeatedly allowed uncontested layups and trailed by a season-high 18 points in the second half. Arizona forward Derrick Williams scored 22 points on seven-for-10 shooting, energizing the home crowd with an array of spectacular dunks.

UCLA sophomore forward Reeves Nelson equaled his career high with 24 points but could not carry his standout first half over into the final 20 minutes in his return from a sprained left ankle that had limited him in practice this week. Nelson scored seven points in the second half after getting 17 and making all seven of his shots in the first.

The Bruins made a concerted effort to feed freshman center Joshua Smith in the second half, but the big man had problems finishing around the basket. He scored 13 points but made only three of nine shots in his first game in a week after sitting out because of a head and neck injury.

Arizona (17-4, 6-2) pulled away early in the second half after Kyle Fogg was awarded four free throws -- and made them all -- on a foul by UCLA's Lazeric Jones, who went scoreless after missing all seven of his shots.

The Bruins made only two of 16 three-pointers while Arizona made six of 10.

We'll have more later at www.latimes.com/sports.

--Ben Bolch, reporting from Tucson

Photo: UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt, top, tries to drive past Arizona's Kyle Fogg during the first half of the Bruins' loss on Thursday. Credit: Wily Low / Associated Press

Reeves Nelson's ankle is fine. So is his ability to single-handedly keep his team in the game.

The UCLA sophomore forward scored 17 points and made all seven of his shots from the field in the first half Thursday night at the McKale Center against Arizona, and the  Bruins trail, 38-33, at halftime.

Nelson had been limited in practice this week by a sprained left ankle, but he was plenty mobile on a number of forays to the basket, going in for layups and dunks to keep UCLA close.

Arizona forward Derrick Williams scored 12 points and had the highlight of the first 20 minutes, a one-handed dunk off an alley-oop pass that appeared to be too high before Williams corralled it at the last moment and stuffed it through the basket.

The Wildcats led by as many as seven points midway through the half before UCLA battled back to tie the score at 29-29 on a pair of free throws by Nelson, who made three of six attempts from the free-throw line. Arizona scored the final four points of the half.

The first-half stats were fairly even. UCLA shot 48% to Arizona's 44.4% and committed 11 turnovers to the Wildcats' 10, but there was a big discrepancy in three-pointers; Arizona made four of six and the Bruins made only one of six.

UCLA freshman center Joshua Smith, playing for the first time since the opening half of the Bruins' game against California a week ago, was not much of a factor, scoring five points and grabbing no rebounds in seven minutes. Bruins sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt was also a bit of a no-show, missing all three shots and committing three turnovers, though he did grab seven rebounds.

UCLA junior guard Lazeric Jones missed all five of his first-half shots.

--Ben Bolch, reporting from Tucson

USC isn't struggling that much against Arizona State's zone defense tonight at the Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz., running counter to the Trojans' season-long trend. In fact, the Trojans are playing well.

And despite their seven-man rotation, the Trojans have overcome a slow start and a big deficit to trail the Sun Devils by only two points at halftime, 31-29.  

USC started slow and fell behind, 19-8, with 11 minutes 47 seconds left till halftime.

At that point, junior forward Nikola Vucevic had scored all of USC's points, hitting his first four shots.

But trailing 21-10, USC went on a 10-2 run, capped by a layup from senior guard Donte Smith, with 8:12 left. 

A particularly telling moment occurred a few minutes later, when Arizona State's 6-foot-4 freshman guard Keala King was able to grab two offensive rebounds to keep alive one Sun Devils possession, which he ended with a layup to put Arizona State up, 27-20, with 5:18 left.

Because USC has a thin bench, down another man after freshman guard Bryce Jones' recent departure, its two 6-foot-10 forwards -- Vucevic and Alex Stepheson -- often get little rest, and each looked tired battling King on the glass on that possession.

Freshman guard Maurice Jones, who has been told lately that he needs to be more aggressive on  offense, hit two three-point jumpers for USC to close the half. 

USC is shooting 12 for 25 (48%) and is led by 11 points and seven rebounds from Vucevic.

Arizona State is shooting 10 for 22 (45.5%) and is led by 11 points from senior guard Ty Abbott.  

USC is outrebounding Arizona State, 18-11, but has 10 turnovers to Arizona State's seven. 

-- Baxter Holmes in Tempe, Ariz. 

Reeves Nelson is expected to be in the starting lineup for UCLA against Arizona on Thursday night at the McKale Center, according to a Bruins spokesman, five days after the sophomore forward sprained his left ankle late in a victory over Stanford.

Nelson, UCLA's leading scorer and rebounder who is averaging 13.9 points and 8.0 rebounds, was limited in practice this week but appeared to be agile during warmups.

The return of Nelson and freshman center Joshua Smith, who sat out all but six minutes of the Bruins' last two games because of a head and neck injury, should help UCLA combat Arizona big man Derrick Williams, one of the most dynamic scorers and rebounders in the Pacific 10 Conference.

It also should help the Bruins in the event that post players Anthony Stover and Brendan Lane get into foul trouble.

-- Ben Bolch in Tucson

An autopsy has confirmed that a body pulled from the Mississippi River is that of the brother of Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed.

Authorities on Wednesday had tentatively identified the body as that of 28-year-old Brian Reed, who jumped into the river about 30 miles northwest of New Orleans after an encounter with a sheriff's deputy on Jan. 7.

The autopsy Thursday by the Jefferson Parish coroner's office confirmed his identity and found the preliminary cause of death to be accidental drowning.

Ed Reed says his brother was suffering from mental issues when he ran away from a deputy who tried to question him about driving another brother's car without authorization.

-- Associated Press

A Superior Court judge in Los Angeles tentatively denied a request to dismiss a wrongful termination suit brought by Elgin Baylor, the NBA Hall of Famer and former Clippers executive, against the Clippers and three other defendants.

At a hearing Thursday, Judge Kenneth R. Freeman scheduled another hearing for Feb. 3 to make a final ruling on whether the civil case should proceed to trial, tentatively set for March 2.

Baylor, 76, spent 22 years as the Clippers’ executive vice president and general manager until August 2008. In his lawsuit filed in February 2009, Baylor alleged he was fired and suffered age and race discrimination while with the team, among other things.

The defendants — who also include Clippers owner Donald Sterling, team president Andy Roeser and the National Basketball Assn. — deny the allegations.

Anthony Oncidi, a lawyer representing the NBA, also asked Freeman to dismiss the league as a defendant in the case, but Freeman tentatively denied that request as well.

--Jim Peltz

Photo: Elgin Baylor in 2009. Credit: Reed Saxon / Associated Press

Here we are at the first major national event after the Olympics, when everyone's thoughts turn toward finding the next big thing (who usually is rather small) in U.S. women's figure skating.

The place everyone looks first is the junior women's event -- yes, you can call it the girls' event without being sexist -- at the U.S. Championships.

Anyone who did that this week would have been dazzled by the performances of 15-year-old Courtney Hicks from Chino Hills.  She skated far bigger than her 5-feet, 93 pounds to earn a runaway triumph and the highest women's score since the juniors began using the Code of Points system in 2006.

"She came to this nationals without anyone knowing who she is,'' said John Nicks, her coach.  "She is not leaving that way.''

 Of course, using juniors as a measuring stick can be a tricky business.   Five-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan never won a junior title (yes, I realize she was skating seniors by age 12, but she was ninth in juniors.)  Neither did three-time world medalist and 2006 Olympic runner-up Sasha Cohen.  Nor did Peggy Fleming, Tara Lipinski or Dorothy Hamill, Olympic champions all.

Do the names Sydne Vogel or Sara Wheat ring any bells?  Didn't think so.  But Wheat beat Cohen for the junior title in one post-Olympic year (1999), and Vogel beat the heavily hyped Lipinski in another (1995). And how about 2003 winner Erika Archambault, one of 10 young women soon forgotten after finishing ahead of eventual Olympian Emily Hughes in that post-Olympic-year junior meet?

But what happened in the last post-Olympic season makes it worth giving Hicks' situation a further look -- as did her flawless triple-triple jump combinations in the short and long programs, her rafter-rattling split jump, her speed across the ice and overall physical skills that the 81-year-old Nicks said have made her the most athletic skater he ever has taught.

Here are Thursday's Santa Anita entries, which did not appear in the print edition of The Times.