Ordinarily this is something I'd post in the "MMA Bubble Watch" but this is actually a healthy development in the sport. A NFL player - a legit NFL player - is cross-training MMA (sort of) in the off season:
"I'm just a big UFC fan," he said. "I figured it would be something fun to do in the offseason instead of going out and hanging out. I figured it would be a good way to blow off some steam.
"It's something I've been interested in, the UFC and ultimate fighting. I like it a lot as a fan. I thought it was a fun and maybe it could translate into football."
Roth said he gave Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a try, but decided after several days he didn't want to risk an injury and stuck mostly to boxing. He trained with former Olympic boxing gold medalist Howard Davis Jr. and apparently did well enough that he said Davis wanted him to fight for him when he was done playing football.
"I told him I would just take it one day at a time," Roth chuckled.
This isn't the biggest deal on planet earth, but it is good news. When athletes of this stature and caliber began to embrace MMA, they began to tell others in their circle. Remember, these are people with friends, neighbors, and collegues in high places. Slowly but surely, good word from someone like Roth to those around him helps the sports image - if not in public, certainly in private.
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