OU football: DeMarco Murray, Quinton Carter work with MMA trainers

Murray and OU teammate Quinton Carter both raved about the benefits gained from working with MMA trainers in Las Vegas during their spring break in May.

"It was definitely a good thing," Murray said. "I was never that tired. It definitely got my conditioning level and stamina up."

Murray, who is a huge fan of Ultimate Fighting Championship, said he has a friend who owns a gym in Las Vegas, his hometown.

"Q and I did it the entire break," Murray said. "Conditioning-wise it's a different kind of conditioning. You're using your whole body, using muscles I had never worked before until I did the boxing. It was a great workout."

In recent years, pro and college football teams have included hand-to-hand combat training as part of structured workouts. Schmidt has had linebackers, tight ends and linemen work with mixed martial arts instructors to improve their hands and footwork.

The Atlanta Falcons became the first NFL team to start a team-sponsored MMA program, hiring a new company founded by UFC star Randy Couture.

The Detroit Lions hired Luigi Gjokaj, a local pro boxer, to work with dozens of their players during the off-season.

"It doesn't surprise me," said OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables. "If you've ever wrestled somebody or you've ever gotten into a fight, it doesn't take long to get winded. You get out there rag-dolled a little bit, I can imagine it would pay bid dividends."