Adrian Peterson was an athlete that one had to see to believe.
His athletic exploits at every level of football left onlookers speechless as he defied comparisons with his otherworldly talent.
In high school, the running back rushed for a shade under 5,000 yards.
He accomplished that in only two years.
As a collegian at Oklahoma, Peterson ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons including 1,900 yards as a freshman.
Then, the Minnesota Vikings selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.
💎 Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson’s 2012 Season Stats 📋:
🔥16 GP. 348 CAR. 2,097 YDS. 6.0 AVG. 12 TDS. 85 FD.
♾️ Without question one of the select few ELITE Running Backs of our generation💨. pic.twitter.com/Z1VQv1Jc9T
— Revenge Tour (@RevengeTourLA) August 2, 2024
All he did was capture NFL Rookie of the Year honors and was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 after rushing for over 2,000 yards.
Peterson was only the seventh running back in NFL history to reach two grand in a single season.
Even more remarkable was the fact that he reached such a lofty total one year after blowing out his ACL and MCL.
By the time he retired following the 2021 season, Peterson had tallied 14,918 yards and 120 touchdowns on the ground.
This is the story of one of the NFL’s most memorable running backs of all time.
Childhood Tragedy Inspires Peterson
Adrian Lewis Brown was born on March 21, 1985, in Palestine, Texas.
He later took the surname of his father, Nelson Peterson, a former college hoops player.
Peterson’s mother, Bonita, competed in track for the University of Houston.
Adrian and his older brother, Brian, inherited their parents’ athletic genes and both excelled in sports as youngsters.
Sadly, when Adrian was seven, Brian was killed by a drunk driver while he rode his bicycle.
He was only nine years old.
To heal from the loss of his brother and best friend, Adrian poured himself into sports, especially football, and even won an MVP award after a little league football tournament.
“I’m not bragging because he is my child,” Bonita said, “but he was good for a little kid.”
As he entered middle school, Peterson began making a name for himself in the local youth football league, where his dad was an assistant coach.
Then, just when the future looked bright, Nelson Peterson was arrested and jailed for his part in a money laundering and cocaine ring.
Peterson’s Life Gets Messy
With his father incarcerated, Peterson didn’t find solace in football like he once did.
He let his grades slide and then suffered a severe knee injury as a freshman football player at Woodward High School.
“After I hurt my knee,” Peterson said, “I felt like, ‘What am I doing? Football’s going on; I’m not playing. Going to class, doing work what for?'”
Before his sophomore year, Peterson transferred to Palestine High School but couldn’t play ball due to his poor grades.
Peterson Reaches 2,000 Yards, Twice
The dark clouds in his life parted as Peterson’s junior year dawned.
A new football coach at Palestine High encouraged him to use his abilities.
The youngster was already a hulking 6’2, 200 pounds, basically a linebacker who played running back.
When he got the ball for the first time in practice, Peterson’s speed and skill were not what the coaches expected.
“Everyone just stopped,” his high school coach, Jeff Harrell, said. “All the coaches just stopped and looked at each other. The explosion … it wasn’t just average stuff.”
Peterson became the Wildcats’ starting running back and soon put on a clinic.
The next #SSoT includes a Journey to Greatness with NFL star Adrian Peterson, who will talk about his prep days at Palestine High School in Texas. Enjoy this preview and hear more in our next episode! @AdrianPeterson @Lions pic.twitter.com/ZHps6EnEi6
— Sports Stars of Tomorrow (@SportsStarsTV) June 24, 2021
Against Huntsville, and Palestine’s former coach, (who said he left in part because he didn’t believe the school would ever win anything) Peterson rammed 340 yards and six touchdowns down the coach’s throat.
More huge games followed, and by the end of his junior year, Peterson had rushed for 2,051 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Without a doubt, 2,000 yards is difficult to top.
No problem for Peterson.
Two letters: AP 💪
Adrian Peterson takes his spot on the @uiltexas list of the Top Players in Texas High School Football history! @JackBox | #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/A5OIWp5mHO
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) August 29, 2020
During a senior year in which he busted loose for 2,960 yards, 11.7 yards per carry, and 32 scores, it was nearly impossible to stop him.
“You had 11 guys on the line of scrimmage trying to stop No. 28,” Palestine offensive coordinator Tommy Allison said. “He’ll run over you. He’ll run around you.”
By the season’s conclusion, every college recruiter in the country showed up at Peterson’s door.
He was invited to play in the Army All-American Bowl and wowed a national audience by rumbling for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
“I definitely enjoyed playing in high school,” said Peterson in 2013. “That developed in me the passion I have for working and the passion I have for football. It made it easy for me to go out and want to be the best. That’s where it started. I didn’t want to come off the field. I wanted to play defense, too, but my high school coaches knew better. They wanted to save me for offense.”
Peterson was inducted into the Texas Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
Peterson Chooses the Sooners
When he wasn’t on the gridiron, Peterson was taking after his mother by competing in track and field.
His 100-meter dash times helped Peterson win several meets.
That only added to his mystique as an athlete.
Years later, Peterson shared that, if the NFL allowed high school players the opportunity to jump to the pros instead of attending college first, he would have made the transition easily.
“Not to sound cocky or anything, or confident, but yeah, I do feel like I could have came out my senior year of high school and played in the NFL,” Peterson said in 2015.
By the spring of his senior year in high school, Peterson had narrowed his list of schools to Texas, Miami, USC and Oklahoma.
Happy Commitversary to Adrian Peterson. 20 years ago today, he committed to the Sooners.
A 5 ⭐️ out of Palestine, Texas, AD was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the 2004 class.
AD played three years at OU and became the first freshman to finish as a runner-up in the… pic.twitter.com/PH9JS4OOmB
— The REF (@KREFsports) January 3, 2024
The Longhorns were scratched off the list when then-head coach Mack Brown told Peterson that Cedric Benson would be his starter during Peterson’s freshman year.
“But after that, you can compete for it,’” Peterson recalled Brown saying. “I said ‘Okay, appreciate it’ and that was it. I never told him that I wasn’t coming. But that was the decision I made based off that.”
USC assistant coach and head recruiter Ed Orgeron tried to bring Peterson to Southern California by getting his father transferred to a jail near Los Angeles.
“I said, ‘Adrian, what is the key to get you here at USC?’ He says, ‘Coach, well, my dad is incarcerated and Bob Stoops went to see him,’” Orgeron explained. “Well, me and Pete Carroll tried to go get him, and to go see him. They wouldn’t let us see him. Adrian said, ‘Coach, my dad is able to watch my games where he’s at if I go to Oklahoma.’ I tried to get the guy transferred to Los Angeles.”
Ultimately, the transfer didn’t work and Peterson became an Oklahoma Sooner.
Making Miracles Happen as a Freshman
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops was wise to promise Peterson the starting job as a freshman.
Right off the bat, the running back dashed and bashed his way to a monster year.
In a contest against in-state rival Oklahoma State in October, Peterson took a simple pitch from quarterback Jason White and outran the entire Cowboys defense for an 80-yard touchdown.
8⃣0⃣ Days Until ⭕️🙌🏈.
"Spinning away and he is gone. Eight consecutive games he's run for 100 yards or more."
Keith Jackson calls Adrian Peterson's 80-yard touchdown run against Oklahoma State in 2004.#OUDNA x @AdrianPeterson pic.twitter.com/vUG3TySf03
— 𝕺𝖐𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆 𝖛𝖘. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 (@soonergridiron) June 15, 2022
Then, in a December game against Colorado, Peterson scored from 32 yards out.
On the way to the end zone, he ran over at least five Buffaloes players without breaking a sweat.
When the smoke cleared on the Sooners’ 12-1 season (which included a loss to USC in the Orange Bowl), Peterson had 1,925 total yards and 15 touchdowns, breaking several NCAA records by a freshman along the way.
He was named Unanimous All-American, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, first-team All-Big 12, and was a runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting.
Peterson was also the first freshman to ever be a finalist for the Doak Walker Award for the best running back in college football.
Despite Injuries, Two More Good Years
Peterson wasn’t done yet.
In 2005, he struggled with injuries yet still ran for 1,104 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Two highlights during the year included an 84-yard dash to the house against Oklahoma State (which also included 237 rushing yards) and breaking three tackles on the way to a 41-yard score against Tulsa.
Give us your favorite college football running back.
We'll start: Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma.pic.twitter.com/lCOGpjjryT
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) July 22, 2023
The Sooners dipped to an 8-4 record but defeated Oregon in the Holiday Bowl, 17-14.
In 2006, Peterson was having a great season that included a nifty 69-yard receiving score against UAB in the season’s opening game.
However, after a 53-yard romp against Iowa State, Peterson dove into the end zone and promptly broke his collarbone.
The injury kept him sidelined for the rest of the season.
Thankfully, Peterson returned in time to play in the Sooners’ Fiesta Bowl date with Boise State.
During the contest, which Boise State won on a trick play, Peterson rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.
College Football Classic: Boise State upsets Oklahoma in a “David vs Goliath”, overtime thriller, 43-42 in the Fiesta Bowl. Broncos used multiple trick plays to pull off the win but what might be more impressive is that they held Adrian Peterson to 77 yards rushing. pic.twitter.com/v2wYxkhnXT
— The Get Back Coach (@TheGBCoach) April 11, 2022
He ended his third season with 1,012 yards and 13 total touchdowns.
Then, during the spring of what would have been his senior season, Peterson announced that he would be turning pro.
His total of 4,041 rushing yards left Peterson only 73 yards shy of Billy Sims’s school rushing yards record.
Peterson’s college career included an All-American designation as well as three first-team All-Conference nods.
Minnesota Selects Peterson 7th Overall in the 2007 Draft
The knock on Peterson before the 2007 NFL Draft was that he was injury-prone.
Some scouts also wondered about his upright running style, believing that Peterson would be prone to more vicious hits.
“I just think, though, that, no matter how deep they dig, they aren’t going to find any kind of dirt,” said Peterson, who has ignored the concerns about his potential lack of longevity at the next level of the game. “Whatever the hurdles, I’ve been able to overcome them. I think I’ve proven that I can [persevere], you know?”
There was no denying his speed and breakaway ability, however.
Many NFL front offices compared him to Eric Dickerson, which was just fine by Peterson.
After all, Dickerson was himself a Texas native who played collegiately at SMU and set the all-time NFL single-season rushing record in 1984 with 2,105 yards.
The Minnesota Vikings had a decent running back at the time with Chester Taylor, but the organization wanted a game-changer.
Some other notable players who were in the 2007 Draft with Adrian Peterson:
Calvin Johnson
JaMarcus Russell
Darrelle Revis
Patrick Willis
Joe Thomas pic.twitter.com/2C5eEfR8E6— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 1, 2021
With the seventh pick in the draft, Minnesota selected Peterson and signed him to a five-year deal.
The rookie promised the local media that he was the real deal and would take the league by storm.
Breaking Records as a Rookie
He certainly didn’t disappoint.
Peterson’s 431 yards from scrimmage after his first three games set a Vikings record for a rookie.
In Week 6 against Chicago, Peterson ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns on only 20 carries, setting a franchise record.
During the game, he also set an NFL record by tallying 361 all-purpose yards.
Through his first five games as a pro, Peterson had 607 rushing yards, second in NFL history only to Dickerson.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, in Week 9 Peterson broke his own record, and the NFL single-game rushing record, by slashing the San Diego Chargers for 296 yards and three scores on 30 touches.
“I always set the bar high,” Peterson said. “I’m working hard to be able to reach the goals I’ve set for myself. If you can do that, anything is possible.”
It was his second 200-yard game in the same season, a feat no other back had done in league history.
On this day in 2007, rookie Adrian Peterson set the NFL single-game rushing record, going 296 yards on 30 carries, as well as 3 touchdowns.pic.twitter.com/G2aHWcBAFK
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) November 4, 2023
Also, Peterson reached the 1,000-yard mark during the contest.
His 1,036 yards after only eight games set another NFL record for a rookie and his total number of 100-yard rushing games and longest touchdown run from scrimmage set Minnesota team records for a rookie.
Even with Peterson dazzling the world with his skills, Minnesota could only reach eight wins and missed the playoffs.
When the season ended, Peterson had nine starts, 1,341 yards, 13 total touchdowns, and an NFL-best 95.8 yards per game average.
He was chosen as the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, his first Pro Bowl, and named a second-team All-Pro.
Peterson Keeps Rollin’
In 2008, Peterson avoided a sophomore slump by starting 15 games and leading the NFL with 1,760 yards and 110 yards per game.
After his first 30 NFL games, Peterson already had 3,101 yards, third-best all-time behind Dickerson and Jim Brown.
The Vikings reached the playoffs but lost to Philadelphia despite Peterson’s two touchdowns.
In 2009, Peterson and his teammates were stoked when former Packers and Jets quarterback Brett Favre joined the team.
With Favre throwing bullets, Peterson caught a career-high 43 passes from his new teammate and rushed for 1,383 yards and a league-best 18 touchdowns.
I'm fortunate I got to witness prime Vikings Adrian Peterson 🍿 pic.twitter.com/tvib7uEeJN
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) July 21, 2024
Minnesota reached the NFC Championship Game after the season and Peterson contributed 122 yards and three scores.
The Vikings were defeated in overtime by New Orleans, 31-28.
Favre struggled with injuries in 2010 and the fate of the Vikings suffered with him, slumping to a 6-10 record.
Peterson, on the other hand, rushed for 1,298 yards and 13 total touchdowns.
In Week 6, he reached 5,000 career rushing yards, the sixth fastest to reach that number in NFL history.
When the ‘10 season concluded, Peterson was voted to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and named to the All-Pro Team for the fourth time.
A Devastating Knee Injury in 2011
In 2011, Peterson was well on his way to another great year.
Before the season began, he re-signed with the Vikings for $96 million over seven years.
The contract instantly made Peterson the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
Early in the season, he reached 6,000 career yards, and in Week 5, he scored three rushing touchdowns in the first quarter against Arizona.
That set another Vikings record.
Peterson missed a few games due to an ankle sprain and then returned to play a Week 16 contest against Washington.
Just after halftime, Peterson was tackled by Redskins safety DeJon Gomes.
Gomes got up, but Peterson didn’t.
Minnesota’s team doctors rushed to his side and helped get him off the field.
When he didn’t return to the game, Vikings fans got a little worried.
Adrian Peterson turns 36 today.
His nine-month recovery from a torn his ACL in 2011 is still one of the best comebacks in sports. 😤
2012 season:
⬛️ MVP
⬛️ 2,097 yards
⬛️ 131.1 YPG
⬛️ 13 TDs
⬛️ 16 games
⬛️ Eight yards from Eric Dickerson’s rushing record pic.twitter.com/YDlOMrlijs— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 21, 2021
Their worry turned into despair when it was announced a day later that Peterson had torn both his ACL and MCL.
When asked, Peterson told the media he knew something was wrong immediately after the hit.
“It definitely didn’t feel good,” he said after the game. “I knew initially right when it happened that it was something serious.”
His rehab would be lengthy and there were doubts about whether he could return for the 2012 season.
Peterson’s Miraculous Comeback Turns Into an MVP Season
Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Peterson attacked rehab like he attacked defenders.
By the 2012 preseason, there were rumors that he might be ready for Week 1, unheard of for an injury that severe.
Sure enough, Peterson suited up against Jacksonville in the first game of the year and ran for 84 yards and two scores.
Adrian Peterson tore his ACL in 2011 and still put up these crazy numbers in 2012 :
– 348 Rushing Attempts
– 2,314 Total Yards
– 6.0 YPC
– 131 Yards Per Game
– 13 Total Touchdowns pic.twitter.com/XOAB8q6lPK— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) May 19, 2020
Along the way, he passed Robert Smith for first all-time in rushing yards in Vikings history.
Every week, Peterson looked even better than the week before, and by the final game of the season, he was only 208 yards short of Dickerson’s single-season rushing yards record.
In December alone, he ran for 861 yards, the most in a single month in league history.
Although he ultimately didn’t reach Dickerson’s record, Peterson closed the 2012 season by rushing for 2,097 yards (which led the NFL), averaging 131.1 yards per game (which also led the NFL) and 13 combined touchdowns.
Most rush yards in a season by a #Vikings RB:
Adrian Peterson – 2,097
Adrian Peterson – 1,760
Dalvin Cook – 1,557
Robert Smith – 1,521
Adrian Peterson – 1,485
Adrian Peterson – 1,383
Adrian Peterson – 1,341
Adrian Peterson – 1,298
Michael Bennett – 1,296
Adrian Peterson – 1,266 pic.twitter.com/iwEc75NmQ8— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) June 9, 2024
He was the seventh player in NFL history to reach and surpass 2,000 yards in a season and Peterson is still second all-time to Dickerson for most rushing yards in a season.
Although the Vikings lost in the wild-card round, Peterson took home a wealth of honors.
The NFL named him its league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year and Peterson came in second for Comeback Player of the Year.
To this day, players who sustain a serious knee injury wonder if they can return as quickly and as well as Peterson did.
In 2014, he shared that replicating his success post-injury would be difficult for others.
“I knew that when I came back and had the kind of season that I had, I knew that it was going to be hard for anyone to duplicate that type of success after an ACL,” Peterson said. “Why do I say that? I say that because just coming back is one thing. That work that I put in, I can’t really express to you how hard I worked, how hard I grind. I was better and I knew just the work alone would be hard for anybody to duplicate,” Peterson said. “So I set the bar high and I knew it was going to raise some trouble for some other people.”
Peterson is Indicted on Child Abuse Charges
Peterson followed up his spectacular 2012 with 1,266 yards and 11 total touchdowns in 2013.
Those stats brought him his sixth Pro Bowl and sixth All-Pro nod.
Then, after running for 75 yards in Week 1 of the 2014 season, news broke that Peterson was indicted in Texas for child abuse.
It was later revealed that he had disciplined his 4-year-old son with a “switch.”
When the boy’s mother saw the marks from the spanking, she notified the police.
The police report read in part that Peterson’s actions “allegedly resulted in numerous injuries to the child, including cuts and bruises to the child’s back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, along with defensive wounds to the child’s hands.”
Peterson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, defended his client by saying that Peterson was “a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas. . . . It is important to remember that Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury.”
Peterson was immediately disciplined by the NFL and suspended for the remainder of the 2014 season.
Adrian Peterson has issued the following statement, says he's, "without a doubt, not a child abuser" pic.twitter.com/03TilllVtN
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 15, 2014
In February of 2015, a federal judge ruled in Peterson’s favor and he returned to the Vikings for OTA’s in June.
“I’m returning because I want to. I’m a part of this football team and I owe it to the guys I play with and to our coaches,” Peterson wrote in an email to ESPN. “I was planning on coming in this week, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the field. It’s what I love to do.”
With the return of their star running back, the Vikings went 11-5 while Peterson ran for NFL-bests in yardage (1,435), touchdowns (11), number of carries (327), and yards per carry (92.8).
His third NFL single-season rushing title was the first since Barry Sanders (who accomplished the feat four times in the 1990s).
Despite his records, Minnesota lost in the wild-card round at home to Seattle, 10-9.
Peterson Leaves Minnesota
In 2016, more knee injuries limited Peterson to only three starts and 72 yards.
After the year, the Vikings decided not to re-sign him and Peterson became a free agent.
The #Saints have officially signed Adrian Peterson. Full story here:https://t.co/qevxMjJ550 pic.twitter.com/a2kprGqxkT
— Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors) April 25, 2017
The New Orleans Saints pounced and signed the running back in late April 2017 for two years and $7 million.
“I am excited to be joining the New Orleans Saints,” Peterson said. “I’m really looking forward to this opportunity. Most importantly, I chose this team because it just felt right within my spirit. Additionally, my wife and family added their confirmation with the same feelings.”
Peterson’s first game in a Saints uniform came against the Vikings in Week 1.
Minnesota limited him to 18 yards while his replacement, Dalvin Cook, set a new Vikings rookie record with 127 yards in his debut game.
That total broke Peterson’s debut record (103 yards) with Minnesota.
It didn’t help that Saints coach Sean Payton only ran his new back nine times during the game.
“I didn’t sign up for nine snaps, though,” Peterson told reporters later that week. “But unfortunately that’s the way the game played out.”
After four games with New Orleans, Peterson was upset at his lack of carries and made his disgust known to the media.
In October, he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals and played out the ‘17 season in the desert.
Five More Teams in Four Years
Peterson was a free agent again in the spring of 2018 and signed with the Washington Redskins after an impressive workout for the club.
“[He looked explosive] not only early in the workout, but at the end of the workout and he was not even breathing heavy,” head coach Jay Gruden said. “He’s in fantastic physical shape.”
Now that he was officially a Redskin, Peterson had news for the doubters.
“I know there are a lot of athletes out there that are commentators now and they have so much to say,” Peterson said. “Well maybe when they were 33, they didn’t feel like they had it or they couldn’t do it. I don’t allow people to box me in [and] that’s what I just try to tell people in general, ‘Don’t allow anyone to box you in’. You know you are what you think, you get out what you put in.”
In two years with Washington, Peterson did change perceptions that he was over-the-hill.
Adrian Peterson tells @JosinaAnderson that he plans to re-sign with the Redskins on a 2-year deal. pic.twitter.com/nTSPahRa5C
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 13, 2019
His 1,042 yards and eight total scores in ‘18 included Peterson passing Dickerson for eighth on the NFL’s career yards rushing list.
He was also one of only five players in league history who rushed for over 1,000 yards at 33 years of age or older.
Peterson added 898 yards and five touchdowns in 2019 and then was cut by Washington before the 2020 season began.
Only two days later, he signed with Detroit and had 604 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 starts.
When a 35 year old Adrian Peterson played for the Detroit Lions 👀#OnePride pic.twitter.com/teLyU8a9rZ
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@BrandNewDET) July 11, 2024
Peterson was cut by the Lions after the season.
He remained unemployed in 2021 until Tennessee signed him in November to replace an injured Derrick Henry.
Two starts and 82 yards later, Peterson was cut again and signed with Seattle in December.
“I feel like I can still compete at a high level,” Peterson said prior to his first practice with the Seahawks.
Seattle gave him one start and Peterson produced 16 yards and one touchdown.
That gave Peterson the distinction of being the first NFL player to score a rushing touchdown with six different teams.
Peterson Retires
When the 2021 season concluded, no NFL teams called him to play in 2022 or in 2023.
As of 2024, he still has not officially retired.
However, during his playing career, Peterson rushed for 14,918 yards and 120 touchdowns and caught 305 passes for 2,474 yards and six touchdowns.
Happy 38th birthday, Adrian Peterson!
Career stats:
• 15 seasons (184 games)
• 14,918 rushing yards
• 81.1 YPG, 4.6 YPC
• 2,474 receiving yards
• 126 TDs
• 7x pro bowler, 7x all-pro
• 2007 OROY, 2012 OPOY
• 2012 MVP
• Most rushing yards in a game (296)
• Most rushing… pic.twitter.com/45l7lT9RQH— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) March 21, 2023
He was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, PFWA All-Rookie Team member, NFL rushing yards leader three times, rushing touchdowns leader twice, NFL Offensive Player of the Year and league MVP once each, two-time Bert Bell Award recipient, the Art Rooney Award winner once for sportsmanship on the field, a seven-time Pro Bowler, and seven-time All-Pro.
Peterson was later named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team and added to the 50 Greatest Vikings list and the All-Mall of America Field Team.
He also broke or tied several NFL and Vikings rushing records.
Competitive in Retirement
Although he hasn’t officially retired from football, Peterson has remained active.
He tried his hand at boxing in 2022 and lost to former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell by TKO in an exhibition match.
Former NFL standout Adrian Peterson makes his debut tonight on Dancing With The Stars. pic.twitter.com/AG8n9cVgfi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 26, 2023
Then, in 2023, Peterson competed on ABC’s hit television show Dancing with the Stars.
He finished in 11th place.
References
https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3068586
https://www.commanders.com/news/five-takeaways-adrian-peterson-joins-the-redskins
https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2011/12/25/2660668/adrian-peterson-knee-injury-torn-acl-mcl
https://www.si.com/college/texas/news/adrian-peterson-oklahoma-sooners-commitment-texas-longhorns
https://soonersports.com/news/2013/5/20/208798561
https://www.seahawks.com/news/new-seahawks-rb-adrian-peterson-i-can-still-compete-at-a-high-level
https://www.texasfootball.com/hof-adrian-peterson
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12995316/adrian-peterson-rejoins-minnesota-vikings
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PeteAd01.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20071105204501/http://www.startribune.com/1557/story/1527895.html
https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2953541
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/adrian-peterson-1.html
https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft07/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2839618
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/adrian-peterson-made-jump-high-school-nfl/story?id=34155894
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