Meet Vikings Running Back # 28 Adrian Peterson

I have been doing player profiles this week, and will be doing about one a day for the next 70 days, taking a day off from profile to do game reviews, and game recaps. This week one of our readers stated they liked the player profiles, but inquired if i was going to do one on our newest running back, and rookie sensation Adrian Peterson. My response was YES, but not for a couple of weeks. Well, this week, Adrian Peterson was named "Offensive Rookie of the Month." I now find it necessary to do Adrian's profile much sooner than anticipated, and highlight his newest achievement as Player of the Month.

Adrian Peterson was born on March 21, 1985, in Palistine, Texas. His parents are Nelson Peterson, and Bonita Jackson. Adrian comes from an athletic family, where his father played basketball at Idaho State University, and his mother was a track and field star at the University of Houston. Peterson's uncle, Ivory Lee Brown played professional football in the NFL for one season with the Phoenix Cardinals in 1992. Adrian has dealt with family crisis all his life. He was 13 years old, when his father Nelson Peterson was sentenced to ten years in prison for money laundering, and being in connection with illegal drugs. Nelson served nearly eight years in prison, and was released in 2006. Adrian also had to deal with the death of his brother Brian Peterson, who was killed at the age of 9 by a drunken driver, and his step brother Chris Paris who was shot and killed in Houston, Texas, one day before Adrian was set to compete in the NFL Scouting Combine. Adrian is now the proud father of one daughter, Adeja Peterson, and is now living in Eden Prairie with her and his brother Derrick Peterson.

Adrian has been interested in football since childhood, and began playing at the age of seven. He participated in the Pop Warner Football League. He continued his interest in athletics through high school, where he participated in track and field, basketball, and football at Palistine High School, in Palistine, Texas. Adrian was most notable in football, where he played in his junior and senior years, and became the top college recruit his senior year.

As a senior in 2003, Adrian rushed for 2,960 yards, on 252 attempts. An average of 11.7 yards, and scored 32 touchdowns. At the end of his high school career, Adrian competed in the Army All-American Bowl, where he was named the games MVP. He lead the west squad with 95 yards on 9 carries, scored two touchdowns, and announced at the game he would attend college at Oklahoma. Adrian's announcement disappointed six major colleges in USC, University of Texas, Austin, University of California, Los Angeles, university of Arkansas, and the University of Miami. Adrian Peterson was also named top high school player, by College Football News, and Rivals.com.

In Adrian Peterson's freshman year, he broke many NCAA freshman records. He rushed for 1,925 yards, and lead the nation in carries with 339. Peterson was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing second to USC Quarterback Matt Leinart, making his mark early, as the highest qualifier ever for a freshman. Peterson was also a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. Adrian was also recognized for the Associated Press All-American Team. He contributed for the undefeated season for the Sooners, and participated in the 2005 BSC National Championship game, with the birth to the Fed-Ex Orange Bowl. During the 2005 season, Adrian had a high ankle sprain in the first Big 12 Conference game against Kansas State University. Despite missing four games, he still rushed for 1,108 yards, 14 touchdowns, on 220 carries. He also ran for a career long 84 yard touchdown against Oklahoma State University.

In 2006, Nelson Peterson was released from prison, and was able to watch his son as a spectator for the first time on October 14, 2006, against Iowa State University. Although Oklahoma won the game, Adrian broke his collar bone diving into the end zone on a 53 yard touchdown run. During a press conference on October 18th, Adrian stated he was told by doctors to expect to be out 4-6 weeks. At the time of the injury, Peterson only needed 150 yards to pass the career mark of Oklahoma stand out Billy Sims, for the all-time leading rusher. Adrian was unable to return for the rest of the regular season, but did return for the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Boise State, where he rushed for 77 yards. Adrian concluded his college career with 1,012 yards rushing in his final season, and a career total of 4,045 yards. Peterson was 74 yards short of passing Billy Sims record of 4,119 career yards, and being named as Oklahoma's all-time leading rusher.

On January 15, 2007, Peterson declared he would enter the NFL draft, and not play college football his senior year. Many NFL teams had concerns about Adrian's injuries sustained in college. Peterson played in 22 of 31 games his college career, and missed games due to a dislocated shoulder his freshman year, a high ankle sprain his sophomore season, and a broken collar bone in his final season with Oklahoma. Prior to the draft, professional scouts compared him to the likes of Eric Dickerson. Peterson was also considered by some as the best player in the draft, and if not, he was in the top three.

On April 27, 2007, Adrian Peterson was selected as the seventh pick in the NFL draft. He was the first running back selected, and announced that his collar bone would stay 90% healed. There was also a possibility of surgery to fix the collar bone injury 100%, but it was revealed by doctors he would not need the surgery. On July 29th, Peterson signed a five-year $17 million guaranteed contract with the Vikings. Peterson's contract is worth $40.5 million.

On August 10, 2007, Peterson made his Minnesota Vikings debut in a preseason game against the St. Louis Rams. Peterson ran for 33 yards on 11 carries with one catch for 2 yards. On September 9, 2007, Peterson ran for 103 yards on nineteen carries in his first NFL regular season game against the Atlanta Falcons. In addition to his rushing yardage, he scored his first professional football touchdown on a sixty yard pass reception. Over his first three regular season games, his 431 yards (271 rushing & 160 receiving) from scrimmage are a team record. Peterson has also tied Vikings legend Chuck Foreman's record with three games where he rushed for over 100 yards. Peterson was also named this week as the NFL Rookie of the Month.

I believe that Adrian Peterson will do what he said. After being selected 7th overall in the 2007 Draft, he indicated he was going to make a lot of teams who passed him up wish they selected him earlier in the draft. With Adrian already having three games of 100 yards or more in his first four games, I see many teams envious of our Vikings. we can now say that so far this season, Adrian Peterson has lived up to the hype that follows him, and as long as he can stay healthy, will give the Vikings a definite power house in the back field.

SKOL PETERSON

&

SKOL VIKINGS!!!!