Adrian Peterson

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For the Chicago Bears running back, see Adrian N. Peterson.
Adrian Peterson
refer to caption
Adrian Peterson with the Oklahoma Sooners
Minnesota Vikings
Career information
College:Oklahoma
NFL draft:2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7
Career history
Career highlights and awards

Adrian Lewis Peterson[1] (born March 21, 1985), nicknamed A.D. ("all day"),[2] is a professional American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL).[3] He played college football as a running back for three years at the University of Oklahoma. At Oklahoma, Peterson set the NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards as a first team All-America, when he also set the freshman record of runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting, and finished as the school's third all-time leading rusher.[4]

Peterson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Coming into the league, he was known as a tall, upright runner with an ultra-rare combination of speed, strength, change-of-direction agility, balance, and size along with a highly aggressive attitude towards collisions, extraordinary effort, and uncommonly outstanding vision & instincts, which all comes together to form arguably the most prodigious RB talent in the game today.[citation needed] His extremely unique ability as both a great breakaway and power runner has often caused him to be compared by experts to modern day versions of Eric Dickerson, Bo Jackson, and OJ Simpson, some of the very few best "run-through-you-or-around-you" type of RB talents in football history.[5]

Personal

Adrian Peterson was born to Nelson Peterson and Bonita Jackson on March 21, 1985 in Palestine, Texas.[5][6] He comes from an athletic family as his father was a college basketball player at Idaho State University and his mother was a track and field sprinter at the University of Houston.[7] His uncle, Ivory Lee Brown, played one season in the NFL for the Phoenix Cardinals in 1992.[3][8] Adrian Peterson has dealt with family crisis throughout his life. He was thirteen years old when his father was sentenced to ten years in prison for money laundering in connection with illegal drugs.[2] Nelson Peterson served nearly eight years of his prison sentence and was released in October 2006.[2] Adrian Peterson's brother, Brian Peterson, was killed at the age of nine by a drunk driver while riding a bicycle.[2] His stepbrother, Chris Paris, was shot and killed in Houston, Texas, one day before Adrian's participation in the 2007 NFL Scouting Combine.[2]

He has one daughter, Adeja.[9] He currently resides in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his brother, Derrick Peterson.[10]

Early years

Peterson was interested in football as a child as he began playing at the age of seven[11] and participated in Pop Warner Football.[1] He continued his interest in athletics into high school where he competed in track and field, basketball, and football at Palestine High School.[5] He was most notable in football where he played during his junior and senior years and became the top college recruit in the country as a senior.[12] He finished his 2002 campaign as a junior with 2,051 yards on 246 carries, an average of 8.3 yards per carry, and 22 touchdowns.[5] As a senior in 2003, he rushed for 2,960 yards on 252 attempts, an average of 11.7 yards per carry, and 32 touchdowns.[5] Concluding his high school football career at the annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he was named the game's Most Valuable Player after leading the West squad with 95 yards on nine carries and scoring two touchdowns and announced at the game he would attend college at Oklahoma.[13] Among his other choices of schools were the University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Arkansas, and University of Miami.[14] Following the season, he was awarded the Hall Trophy as the Ball Park National High School Player of the Year.[13] In addition, he was named the top high school player by College Football News and Rivals.com.[5]

Following Maurice Clarett's unsuccessful attempt to sue the NFL over their age limit in 2004 there was considerable debate over whether any high school football player might be able to make the leap from the preps to the pro game. The player most frequently mentioned was Adrian Peterson.[15]

College career

2004

During his freshman season, Peterson broke many NCAA freshman rushing records, rushing for 1,925 yards and led the nation in carries with 339.[3] He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing second to USC quarterback Matt Leinart, which was the highest finish ever for a freshman.[3] He was also a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.[16] Among other honors include being the first Oklahoma freshman recognized as a First-Team Associated Press All-American.[3] Peterson contributed to an undefeated season for the Oklahoma Sooners and participated in the 2005 BCS National Championship Game with a berth to the FedEx Orange Bowl.[16]

2005

Peterson's playing time in 2005 was limited by a high ankle sprain.[5] He injured his ankle in the first Big 12 Conference game of the season against Kansas State University.[17] Despite missing time in four games, he rushed for 1,108 yards and fourteen touchdowns on 220 carries, finishing second in Big 12 rushing yardage.[3] His 2005 season was also notable for a career-long eighty-four yard touchdown run against Oklahoma State University.[3] Upon the conclusion of the season, he was named a member of the All-Big 12 Conference team.[3]

2006

Peterson runs against Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

Nelson Peterson was released from prison during the 2006 college football season and was able to watch his son as a spectator for the first time on October 14, 2006[11] when Oklahoma played Iowa State University. Oklahoma defeated Iowa State in that game, but Adrian Peterson broke his collar bone diving into the end zone to end a fifty-three yard touchdown run.[18] During a press conference on October 18, Peterson said he was told by doctors to expect to be out for four to six weeks.[19] At the time of the injury, Peterson needed only 150 yards to gain to pass Billy Sims as the University of Oklahoma's all-time leading rusher.[20] He was unable to return for the rest of the Sooners regular season, but returned for the Sooners' last game against Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, where he rushed for 77 yards.[18] He refused to discuss his plans beyond the end of this season with the press.[19] He concluded his college football career with 1,012 rushing yards his final season[21] for a total of 4,045 rushing yards.[22] He was seventy-four yards short of passing Billy Sims as Oklahoma's all-time leading rusher.[22]

NFL career

2007 NFL Draft

On January 15, 2007, Peterson declared that he would forgo his senior year of college and enter the 2007 NFL Draft.[23] Concerns about his injuries suffered during college were noted by the media and potential NFL teams.[2][4][11][24] He started twenty-two out of thirty-one games in his college career and missed games due to a dislocated shoulder his first year, a high ankle sprain his sophomore year, and a broken collarbone his final year at Oklahoma.[4] His durability was a consideration by at least two teams in their draft analysis[24], which impacted selection position. Prior to the 2007 NFL Draft, Peterson was compared by professional football scouts to Eric Dickerson.[7] ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. said of Peterson, "You can make the argument, [Peterson] is the best player in this draft, if not, certainly one of the top three."[25]

On April 28, 2007, Peterson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 7th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.[26] Peterson was the first running back selected in that year's draft. At a press conference during the draft, Peterson announced, "My collarbone, I would say it's 90% healed. A lot of teams know that, and I don't see it stopping me from being prepared for the season."[27]

Minnesota Vikings

Peterson believes he is a player that a franchise can build around. In an interview with IGN following the NFL Draft, he said, "I'm a player who is coming in with the determination to turn a team around. I want to help my team get to the playoffs, win…and run wild. I want to bring people to the stands. I want people to come to the game to see what I can do next. Things like that can change the whole attitude of an organization. I want to win."[28]

Since being drafted by the Vikings, it had been speculated that Peterson would have to undergo surgery to heal the collarbone injury suffered during college, but it was revealed on May 16, 2007 that he will not have to have surgery.[29]

Nearly three months after being drafted, he was signed by the Vikings on July 29, 2007. His contract is worth US$40.5 million over five years, with $17 million guaranteed.[30]

On August 10, 2007, Peterson made his Minnesota Vikings debut in a preseason game against the St. Louis Rams.[31] Peterson ran for 33 yards on 11 carries with one catch for 2 yards.[32] On September 9, 2007, Peterson ran for 103 yards on nineteen carries in his first NFL regular season game against the Atlanta Falcons.[33] In addition to his rushing yardage, he scored his first professional football touchdown on a sixty yard pass reception.[33] Over his first three regular season games, his 431 yards (271 rushing & 160 receiving) from scrimmage are a team record.[34] For his performance during the three games, Peterson received the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month award for September 2007.[35] His most notable game as a professional came on October 14, 2007 against the Chicago Bears, highlighted by a three touchdown performance and a franchise record of 224 yards rushing on 20 carries.[36] Peterson established additional team records for a rookie during this game, which included the most 100-yard games rushing and the longest touchdown run from scrimmage.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b Wojciechowski, Gene. "NEXT 2005 Adrian Peterson". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Corbett, Jim (2007-04-18). "Adrian Peterson runs through anger to the NFL". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-08-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Adrian Peterson". Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  4. ^ a b c Weisman, Larry (2007-08-07). "Is Peterson a home run hitter for Vikings?". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-08-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Adrian Peterson NFL Bio". Viking Update. 2007-04-28. Retrieved 2007-09-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Adrian Peterson". Yahoo!. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  7. ^ a b Max, Mike (2007-05-21). "Adrian Peterson Credits Family For Success". WCCO-TV. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Ivory Brown". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
  9. ^ Newman, Elizabeth (2007-02-20). "First Person: Adrian Peterson, Ex-Oklahoma Running Back". CNN Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-08-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Evans, Thayer (2007-09-23). "The Pride of Palestine: Texas Town Follows Its Star". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ a b c Bensinger, Graham (2007-03-30). "Peterson overcomes adversity, injuries to be top RB". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-08-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Tyler, Scott (2007-06-24). "A Hero's Welcome Home". The Palestine Herald. Retrieved 2007-08-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ a b "Ball Park National H.S. Player of the Year". Scout.com. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  14. ^ "Adrian Peterson - Football Recruiting". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  15. ^ Pasquarelli, Len (2007-04-17). "Peterson's been ready for the NFL for years". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-09-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ a b "All-American: Adrian Peterson". University of Oklahoma and CSTV. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
  17. ^ "Peterson injured in Oklahoma's win". Associated Press. 2005-10-01. Retrieved 2007-09-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ a b "Oklahoma's Peterson returns to practice". Associated Press. 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2006-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ a b Wright, Scott (2006-10-18). "Peterson discusses injury". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2006-10-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ "Stoops: Peterson Broke Collarbone". SoonerSports.com. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  21. ^ "Adrian Peterson - Oklahoma Sooners". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  22. ^ a b "Career Rushing Records". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  23. ^ "Peterson to Enter 2007 NFL Draft". University of Oklahoma and CSTV. 2007-01-15. Retrieved 2007-08-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ a b Banks, Don (2007-05-21). "Teams wary of Peterson's health". CNN Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ Walker, James (2007-02-23). "Browns to learn today if they'll draft third or fourth". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2007-09-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ Pokorny, Chris (2007-04-28). "Vikings Draft RB Adrian Peterson at No. 7". Pro Football Critics. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Pedulla, Tom (2007-04-29). "Vikings' Peterson confident he can contribute". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ Robinson, Jon (2007-05-04). "Adrian Peterson Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ Seifert, Kevin (2007-05-16). "Doctor says Peterson's collarbone is healing just fine". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ Pasquarelli, Len (2007-07-29). "Vikings agree to five-year deal with top pick Peterson". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-07-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ Souhan, Jim (2007-08-11). "Only one game, but offense already has apparently hit the wall". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2007-09-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ "National Football League Game Summary: St. Louis Rams At Minnesota Vikings" (PDF). National Football League. 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-09-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ a b "National Football League Game Summary: Atlanta Falcons At Minnesota Vikings" (PDF). National Football League. 2007-09-09. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ Zulgad, Judd (2007-09-25). "Teammates want to keep 'All Day' fresh for all season". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2007-09-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  35. ^ "Peterson named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for September". Associated Press. 2007-10-03. Retrieved 2007-10-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ "Image of Vikings' bumbling offense fades on this day". Star Tribune. 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2007-10-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  37. ^ Zulgad, Judd (2007-10-14). "Peterson show dazzles Bears ... and Vikings". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2007-10-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

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