Caption	Sanders in 2005.
Position	Running back
Number	20
Heightft	5
Heightin	9
Weight	200
Birthdate	July 16, 1968
Birthplace	Wichita, Kansas
Debutyear	1989
Debutteam	Detroit Lions
Finalyear	1998
Finalteam	Detroit Lions
Draftyear	1989
Draftround	1
Draftpick	3
College	Oklahoma State
Teams
Stat1label	Rushing Yards
Stat1value	15,269
Stat2label	Average
Stat2value	5.0
Stat3label	Touchdowns
Stat3value	109
Nfl	SAN194381
Highlights
Hof	187
Collegehof	90050

Barry David Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders is best known for being the most prolific and elusive running back of all time, and left the game just short of the all-time rushing record. Sanders is a member of the college and professional football halls of fame; in 2010, the NFL Network series named him in the top 20 players of all time (and the associated fan poll ranked him fourth best of all time).

Early years

A Wichita, Kansas native, Sanders attended Wichita North High School. Sanders did not play running back until the fourth game of his senior year in 1985. He rushed for 1,322 yards in the final seven games of the season, which earned him all-state honors. He was, however, overlooked by most college recruiters because of his size. He chose Oklahoma State after finally getting accepted by the college.

College career

Sanders played for the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 1986 to 1988, and wore the number 21. During his first two years, he backed up All-American Thurman Thomas. In 1987 he led the nation in kickoff return yards. Thomas moved on to the NFL, and Sanders became the starter for his junior year.

In 1988, in what has been called the greatest season in college football history, Sanders led the nation by averaging 7.6 yards per carry and over 200 yards per game, including rushing for over 300 yards in four games. He set college football season records with 2,628 yards rushing, 3,248 total yards, 234 points, 39 touchdowns, of which 37 were rushing (also a record), 5 consecutive 200 yard games, scored at least 2 touchdowns in 11 consecutive games, and 9 times he scored at least 3 touchdowns. Sanders also ran for 222 yards and scored 5 touchdowns in his three quarters of action in the Holiday Bowl - a game that was not included with his season statistics. Sanders won the Heisman Trophy as the season's most outstanding player. He then chose to leave Oklahoma State before his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Professional career

The Detroit Lions selected Sanders with their 1st-round (3rd overall) pick in the 1989 draft,

Barry was the featured running back on Detroit Lions' teams that made the playoffs five times (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1997). He was a member of the 1991 and 1993 squads that won the NFC Central division title. The 1991 team won 12 regular season games (a franchise record).

In 1994, Sanders rushed for 1,883 yards, on a 5.7 yards per carry average. He also totaled 283 receiving yards, which gave him a combined 2,166 yards from scrimmage for the season. He was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. In 1995, Sanders posted 1,500 yards rushing with 398 receiving yards, beating his rushing total alone of the '94 season. In 1996, Sanders rushed for 1,553 yards with a career-low 147 receiving yards. Sanders' greatest season came in 1997 (see below), when he rushed for a career-high 2,053 yards.

In Sanders' last season in the NFL, 1998, he rushed for 1,491 yards, ending his four-year streak of rushing for over 1,500 yards in a season.

Despite his individual success, the Lions never reached the Super Bowl while Sanders was with the team.

He left football healthy, having gained 15,269 rushing yards, 2,921 receiving yards, and 109 touchdowns (99 rushing and 10 receiving). He retired within a one-season striking distance of Walter Payton's career rushing mark of 16,726 yards. Only Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith have rushed for more yards than Sanders.

Sanders' retirement came somewhat unexpectedly and was a matter of controversy. Two years beforehand, Sanders had renewed his contract with the Lions for $35.4 million over six years with an $11 million signing bonus. When he retired with several years left on his contract, the Lions demanded that he return $7.3 million of the bonus. Sanders refused, and the Lions sued and eventually won a judgment against him. On February 15, 2000, arbitrator Sam Kagel ruled that Sanders was in default of his bonus agreement and owed $5.5 million plus interest over the next three years.

Several years after retirement, and repeated refusals to discuss the abruptness of it, Sanders finally admitted that the culture of losing in the Lions' organization was too much to deal with even though he said that he could still play. He explained that it robbed him of his competitive spirit, and he saw no reason to believe things were going to improve. Although Detroit had made the playoffs the season prior to his retirement (losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-10 on the road in a 1998 NFC Wild Card game), Detroit drafted quarterback Charlie Batch in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. It became apparent that Batch would become Detroit's full time starter the next season, and Sanders seemed unwilling to embrace yet another change in the Lions' seemingly endless carousel of quarterbacks and offensive philosophies. He had also gone on record to criticize Detroit's front office (most notably Chuck Schmidt) for releasing Pro Bowl center Kevin Glover for salary cap reasons. Glover was an underrated player and close friend of Sanders in Detroit. He stated there were tears in his eyes as the Lions lost in the playoffs to Tampa in 1998, because he knew in his heart he was never going to play another game for Detroit - "I sobbed for 3 months."

There was wide spread speculation that Sanders' retirement was a calculated move on his behalf to orchestrate a trade to a more legitimate contender. The Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins were both considered among the front runners in the negotiations. Detroit was either unable to find an attractive enough offer, or unwilling to negotiate altogether with other teams. It had been a long standing practice for the Detroit Lions to not accommodate players' requests for trades.

It was thought by some that Bobby Ross himself may have actually been the reason for his early retirement but Barry Sanders, however, debunked this theory in his autobiography; Barry Sanders: Now You See Him, saying that Coach Ross had nothing to do with his quitting and actually praised him as a great head coach.

Personal life

Barry currently resides in West Bloomfield, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, and is married to the former Lauren Campbell, currently a news anchor on a local news station, and the couple have three children together. Sanders also has a son, Barry James Sanders from a previous relationship, who is currently a notable high school football prospect. As a freshman in 2008, Sanders' son ran for 742 yards and twelve touchdowns while helping Heritage Hall School to the 2008 Oklahoma 2A state title, and he was the only sophomore on the 2009 Tulsa World all-state team.

Career highlights

Collegiate

He set 34 NCAA records during his Heisman Campaign.

He holds the national college single-season rushing record with 2,628 rushing yards in 1988.

In 1988, Sanders won the Heisman Trophy while attending Oklahoma State University.

In 2008, Sanders was ranked #2 in ESPN's list of the Top 25 Greatest College Football Players Ever.

Professional

In the 1989 NFL draft, he was selected in the 1st round (3rd overall) by the Detroit Lions.

As a receiver, Sanders had 352 receptions for 2,921 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Detroit Lions.

Sanders led the NFL in rushing yards four times. 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997.

Most Seasons, 1,100 or More Yards Rushing (10) tied with Walter Payton

Most Consecutive Seasons, 1,100 or More Yards Rushing (10)

Most Seasons, 1,300 or More Yards Rushing (9) tied with Walter Payton

Most Seasons, 1,400 or More Yards Rushing (7)

Most Consecutive Seasons, 1,400 or More Yards Rushing (5) tied with Emmitt Smith, 1991-1995

Most Seasons, 1,500 or More Yards Rushing (5)

Most Consecutive Seasons, 1,500 or More Yards Rushing (4)

In 1997, he set an NFL record by rushing for at least 100 yards in 14 consecutive games and became only the third player to reach 2,000 yards in a single season. He shared the NFL MVP award with Brett Favre.

During the final 14 games of the 1997 season Sanders rushed for exactly 2000 yards on 310 carries (6.5 yd./carry), a figure which bears comparison with O.J. Simpson's 14-game mark of 2003 yards on 332 carries (6.0 yd./carry).

Each of his 10 years from 1989 through 1998 he was first- or second-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl.

Over his professional football career, he rushed for at least 100 yards in 76 games, just short of Walter Payton's 77 games and Emmitt Smith's 78 games.

NFL record 25 games in which Sanders rushed for 150 yards or more. Brown is second with 22 games.

NFL record 46 games in which Sanders had 150 yards from scrimmage or more. Walter Payton is second with 45.

15 career touchdown runs of 50 yards or more, most in NFL history. Brown is second with 12.

At the time of his retirement, Sanders' 15,269 career rushing yards placed him second behind Walter Payton's 16,726 yards. At Sanders' then-current yearly yardage pace, he would have eclipsed Payton within one or two years. Payton died from liver cancer at age 45 just months after Sanders' sudden retirement.

If Sanders had gained an additional 31 yards over the course of his 153 games, he would have been only the 2nd NFL runner to average 100 yards per game. (See Jim Brown)

His 18,190 career yards from scrimmage place him fourth on the all-time list.

In 1999, he was ranked number 12 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranking Lions player and the third highest ranked running back, behind Jim Brown and Walter Payton.

On January 31, 2004, he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On August 8, 2004, he was inducted to the Hall of Fame along with Bob Brown, Carl Eller, and John Elway.

Along with Gale Sayers, Sanders is one of the only members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to be inducted while still in his 30's.

On November 25, 2004, his jersey number #20 was retired before the Lions' annual Thanksgiving Day game. (It should be noted that the number was shared with former running back Billy Sims and Hall of Fame defensive back Lem Barney, who also attended the event.)

Sanders also holds the NFL record for the most carries for negative yardage. According to the SI Book of Football, these numbers totaled 336 carries for -952 Yards.

Career statistics

Regular season

{| border=0 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=0 style="text-align:right; text-indent:1em;" |+ align=bottom | ¹Led league ²Second place ³Third place ^†Tied |- style="background-color: #9999dd;" ! rowspan=2 | Year-Age !! colspan=4 | Rushing !! !! colspan=4 | Receiving !! !! colspan=2 | Total |- style="background-color: #9999dd;" ! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! TD !! !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! TD !! !! Yds !! TD |- style="background-color: #ffffff;" | 1989 - 21 || 280 || 1,470² || 5.3 || 14^2† || || 24 || 282 || 11.8 || 0 || || 1,752³ || 14 |- style="background-color: #ddddff" | 1990 - 22 || 255 || 1,304¹ || 5.1 || 13³ || || 36 || 480 || 13.3 || 3 || || 1,784² || 16¹ |- style="background-color: #ffffff;" | 1991 - 23 || 342² || 1,548² || 4.5 || 16¹ || || 41 || 307 || 7.5 || 1 || || 1,855² || 17¹ |- style="background-color: #ddddff" | 1992 - 24 || 312^3† || 1,352 || 4.3 || 9 || || 29 || 225 || 7.8 || 1 || || 1,577 || 10 |- style="background-color: #ffffff;" | 1993 - 25 || 243 || 1,115 || 4.6 || 3 || || 36 || 205 || 5.7 || 0 || || 1,320 || 3 |- style="background-color: #ddddff" | 1994 - 26 || 331 || 1,883¹ || 5.7 || 7 || || 44 || 283 || 6.4 || 1 || || 2,166¹ || 8 |- style="background-color: #ffffff;" | 1995 - 27 || 314 || 1,500² || 4.8 || 11 || || 48 || 398 || 8.3 || 1 || || 1,898² || 12 |- style="background-color: #ddddff" | 1996 - 28 || 307 || 1,553¹ || 5.1 || 11 || || 24 || 147 || 6.1 || 0 || || 1,700³ || 11 |- style="background-color: #ffffff;" | 1997 - 29 || 335 || 2,053¹ || 6.1 || 11^3† || || 33 || 305 || 9.2 || 3 || || 2,358¹ || 14³ |- style="background-color: #ddddff" | 1998 - 30 || 343 || 1,491 || 4.3 || 4 || || 37 || 289 || 7.8 || 0 || || 1,780 || 4 |- valign=top style="font-weight:bold; background-color: #9999dd;" | Total(all-time) || 3,062(4th) || 15,269(3rd) || 5.0 || 99(8th) || || 352 || 2,921 || 8.3 || 10 || || 18,190(4th) || 109(10th) |}

Notes and references

Ron Knapp Sports Great Barry Sanders Revised Edition copyright date 1999 page 16

Gil Brandt. "Hall recall: Barry Sanders", NFL.com, July 22, 2004.

Craig Ellenport. "Sanders was born to run", NFL.com, August 8, 2004.

Mark McCormick and Barry Sanderss. Barry Sanders: Now you See Him: His Story in His Own Words (Emmis Books, 2003). ISBN 1-57860-139-8

Sam Mellinger. "A Hard Man to Catch", The Kansas City Star, August 8, 2004, pp. C1, C8.

External links

Official website

{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=75% align="center" |- ! style="background:#ccccff"| Navigation Boxes |- | |}

Category:Living people Category:1968 births Category:African American players of American football Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Detroit Lions players Category:Heisman Trophy winners Category:American football running backs Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:NFL 10,000 yard rushers Category:NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:National Football League players with retired numbers Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys football players Category:People from Wichita, Kansas Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees

Name	Adrian Peterson
Caption	Peterson at the 2008 Pro Bowl
Currentteam	Minnesota Vikings
Currentnumber	28
Currentposition	Running back
Birthdate	March 21, 1985
Birthplace	Palestine, Texas
Heightft	6
Heightin	1
Weight	217
College	Oklahoma
Draftyear	2007
Draftround	1
Draftpick	7
Debutyear	2007
Debutteam	Minnesota Vikings
Pastteams
Status	Active
Highlights
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Rushing yards
Statvalue1	5,782
Statlabel2	Average rushing yards
Statvalue2	4.8
Statlabel3	Rushing TDs
Statvalue3	52
Statlabel4	Receptions
Statvalue4	119
Statlabel5	Receiving yards
Statvalue5	1,170
Statlabel6	Receiving TDs
Statvalue6	2
Nfl	PET260705

Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985 in Palestine, Texas is an American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. Peterson was selected by the Vikings with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma.

While at Oklahoma, Peterson set the NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards as a true freshman. As a First-team All-American, he also set a freshman record by finishing as the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting (USC's Matt Leinart won the award). Peterson finished as the school's third all-time leading rusher.'''

Following his stellar first pro season in which he set an NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game (296), Peterson was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Peterson was then awarded the MVP award for his performance in the Pro Bowl and became only the fifth player in NFL history to have more than 3,000 yards through his first two seasons. On October 17, 2010, Peterson became the fifth fastest player to run for 5,000 yards, doing so in his 51st game. Peterson has the third highest average yards per game total in NFL history (min. 50 games) with an average of 95.5, 9 yards behind Jim Brown (104.3) and Barry Sanders (99.8).

Early years

Peterson was interested in football as a child; he began playing at the age of 7 and played in the popular Pop Warner Football program. in the 100 meters, basketball, and football at Palestine High School. Peterson's 2002–2003 campaign as a junior ended with 2,051 yards on 246 carries, an average of 8.3 yards per carry, and 22 touchdowns.

Concluding his high school football career at the annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he led the West squad with 95 yards on 9 carries and scored 2 touchdowns, and announced at the game that he would attend college at Oklahoma. Following the season, he was awarded the Hall Trophy as the U.S. Army National Player of the Year. In addition, he was named the top high school player by College Football News and Rivals.com. and the first Oklahoma freshman recognized as a First-Team Associated Press All-American. Despite missing time in four games, he rushed for 1,208 yards and 14 touchdowns on 220 carries, finishing second in Big 12 rushing yardage. At the time of the injury, Peterson needed only to gain 150 yards to pass Billy Sims as the University of Oklahoma's all-time leading rusher. He was unable to return for the rest of the Sooners' regular season, but returned for their last game against Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, where he rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown. He refused to discuss his plans beyond the end of this season with the press. for a total of 4,045 rushing yards (only 3 seasons).

Awards and honors

Hall Trophy (2004)

First-team AP All-Freshman (2004)

First-team consensus All-American (2004)

Doak Walker Award finalist (2004)

Heisman Trophy finalist (2004)

Jim Brown Trophy winner (2004)

Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team (2009).

Professional career

Pre-draft

On January 15, 2007, Peterson declared that he would forego his senior year of college and enter the 2007 NFL Draft. Coming into the league, he was known as a tall, upright runner possessing a rare combination of speed, strength, agility, size, and vision, along with a highly aggressive running style. Concerns about his injuries suffered during college were noted by the media and potential NFL teams. which impacted selection position. Prior to the 2007 NFL Draft, Peterson was compared by professional football scouts to Eric Dickerson. 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."

Minnesota Vikings

On April 28, 2007, Peterson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. 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."

Peterson believed he was a player that a franchise could 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." He later told the Star Tribune in an interview, "I want to be the best player to ever play this game."

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 six years, with $17 million guaranteed.

2007 season

Peterson began his outstanding rookie season with high expectations for himself; he announced ambitious goals including being named Offensive Rookie of the Year and rushing for over 1,300 yards during the course of the year. The NFL's rushing record for a rookie is currently held by Eric Dickerson at 1,808 yards. Just 11 weeks into his rookie season with the Vikings, Peterson was well on his way to Dickerson's record and considered one of the elite running backs in the NFL.

On August 10, Peterson made his Minnesota Vikings debut in a preseason game against the St. Louis Rams. Peterson ran for 33 yards on 11 carries with 1 catch for 2 yards. On September 9, 2007, Peterson ran for 103 yards on 19 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 60-yard pass reception. For his performance during the three games, Peterson received the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month award for both September and October 2007.

His breakout game as a professional came on October 14, 2007 against the Chicago Bears, highlighted by a three-touchdown performance and a then-franchise record of 224 yards rushing on 20 carries. 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. He also set an NFL rookie record with 361 all-purpose yards in a single game. His 607 rushing yards through the first five games of the season is second in NFL history to Eric Dickerson. Following Peterson's record performance, Deion Sanders, now an NFL Network analyst, said about him: "He has the vision of a Marshall Faulk, the power of an Earl Campbell, and the speed of an Eric Dickerson. Let's pray he has the endurance of an Emmitt Smith." He has also been compared to Walter Payton and Tony Dorsett by Star Tribune sports journalist Jim Souhan.

Three weeks later, on November 4, 2007, Peterson broke his own franchise record as well as the NFL single game rushing yard record (previously held by Jamal Lewis since 2003) when he rushed for 296 yards on 30 carries and 3 touchdowns against the San Diego Chargers in a home game in Minneapolis. That game was his second game of over 200 yards rushing, a feat no other rookie has ever accomplished in a season. In addition to the NFL rushing record in a single game, it took him past 1,000 yards rushing for the year after just eight games.

In honor of Peterson's record-breaking performance against the San Diego Chargers, the jersey he wore that night was sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On November 11, 2007, just a week later, Peterson injured the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee in a game against the Green Bay Packers. The injury occurred in the third quarter of a 34–0 defeat at Lambeau Field on a low tackle by Packers cornerback Al Harris.

On December 17, Peterson played in his first Monday Night Football game, where he had 78 yards rushing, 17 yards receiving and 2 TDs. The next day he was named as the starting running back for the 2008 NFC Pro Bowl team. On January 2, he was named The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Peterson and Faulk are currently the only NFL players to win both the NFL Pro Bowl MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same year.

Peterson finished in second place in rushing yards (1341) in the 2007 season behind LaDainian Tomlinson, who finished with 1474 rushing yards.

2008 season

Peterson and the Vikings entered the 2008 season with high expectations and as he did during his rookie season, Peterson set high goals for himself including a 2,000-yard campaign and the NFL MVP award. Questions remained as to Peterson's durability and the ability of the Vikings offense to take the focus of opposing defenses off Peterson.

Peterson and the Vikings began the season with a 24–19 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He finished with 103 yards on 19 carries along with a touchdown. In the following loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Peterson rushed for a then season-high 160 yards on 29 carries, and also recorded 4 receptions for 20 yards. However, Peterson was held to 77 yards on 17 carries and no score in their 20–10 win against the Carolina Panthers, partly because of a hamstring injury suffered the previous week. In the next game, a loss to Tennessee, Peterson rushed 18 times for 80 yards and scored 2 touchdowns along with 4 receptions for 21 yards. In the 30–27 win over the New Orleans Saints, Peterson was held to 32 yards on 21 carries, a 1.5 average. Against the Detroit Lions in the following week, Peterson rushed 25 times for 111 yards, but lost 2 fumbles. However, Peterson bounced back from the fumbles the following week against the Bears, totaling 22 carries for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Following a bye week, Peterson rushed 25 times for 139 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Houston. The contest marked the third straight 100-yard rushing game for Peterson and the Vikings. As of week 8, Peterson was second in the NFL in rushing yards with 823 yards, 172 yards behind Clinton Portis.

In week 10, on Sunday, November 9, Peterson played in a victory against the Green Bay Packers 28–27. He had 30 carries for 192 yards. His longest run was 29 yards; the run was the game-winning touchdown. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry and also had 3 receptions. Peterson's stellar performance put him in the top spot for rushing yards this season, with 1015 yards.

Week 11 saw the Minnesota Vikings (5–4) at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6–3). Tampa Bay was coming off a bye week and was a notoriously difficult team to run against. Peterson was limited to 85 yards on just 19 carries, as the Vikings struggled to produce offense. In Week 12 Peterson was benched the first two offensive series vs. the Jaguars for being late to a team meeting, although he did amass 80 rushing yards and a TD. At the end of Week 12, Peterson became the NFL league leader for rushing yards again with 1,311 yards. Following Week 16, Peterson had 1,657 yards which led the league, and it was announced on December 18, Peterson would be the starting running back for the NFC Pro Bowl team. In his final regular season game in 2008, Peterson ran for 103 yards 21 carries, including a 67 yard touchdown run.

Peterson finished the season leading the league with 1,760 yards, which marks the third-most yards in a sophomore season behind Eric Dickerson's 2,105 yard season, and Chris Johnson's 2,006-yard season one year later.

In Peterson's first 30 games he had 3,101 yards, which marks the 3rd best start to a career for running backs behind Eric Dickerson with 3,600 yards and Jim Brown with 3,144 yards. He became the fourth running back to lead the league in yards per game in his first two seasons along with Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, and Eric Dickerson.

On January 14, 2009, Peterson was named to his second AP All-Pro team in two years.

2009 season

Prior to the start of the 2009 season, analysts of both the NFL Network and ESPN unanimously named Peterson the best running back in the NFL today. However, the arrival of Brett Favre, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, coming out of retirement brought both expectation and speculation about Peterson's new role in the offense. Head Coach Brad Childress, however, stated that he wanted to continue leaning on Peterson, giving him a large amount of carries. Favre worked well into the offense through the first half of the season, re-establishing Peterson's ability with a passing attack. Peterson had 917 rushing yards through week 10, while the Vikings had a record of 8–1.

Peterson opened the season by rushing for 180 yards on 25 carries and 3 touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns, setting a new Vikings franchise record for opening day rushing. He again broke the hundred-yard barrier in week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens, with 143 yards and 22 carries. His next 100-yard effort came against the Lions, with 133 yards on 18 carries, and he was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

In the playoffs, Minnesota won against the Dallas Cowboys 34–3 but then lost to the Saints in an overtime thriller 31–28. Peterson rushed for 122 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Peterson finished the year fifth in rushing and lost Fed-Ex Ground player of the year to Chris Johnson who had over 2,000 yards rushing on the 2009 season. Peterson was voted to the Pro Bowl December 29 as the starting RB for the NFC team.

2010 season

Peterson opened strongly in 2010, with 392 yards and 3 touchdowns through the first 3 weeks. In week 6, he went over the 5,000 yard career rushing mark against the Dallas Cowboys. At week 7, Peterson was second in the league with 684 yards, averaging 114 yards per game, but the Vikings had dropped to a disappointing mark of 2–4. By Week 16, Peterson had rushed for 1,267 yards with 12 touchdowns, as the Vikings improved to a 6–9 record. While the Vikings missed the playoffs, Peterson will represent his team in the Pro Bowl. Peterson thus far has been selected to the Pro Bowl every year he has played in the NFL.

NFL awards

2007 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

2007 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

2007 Pro Bowl MVP

2008 Pro Bowl

2008 Pro Bowl

2008 Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award

2008 Rushing Title (1760 yards)

2008 First-Team All-Pro

2008 FedEx Ground Player of the Year.

2009 Pro Bowl

2009 First-Team All-Pro

2010 Pro Bowl

NFL records

Most 200-yard rushing games for a rookie (2)

Most yards rushing in the first eight games (1,036)

Most yards rushing in a single game (296)

Second rookie ever to win Pro Bowl MVP (Marshall Faulk in 1994)

Career statistics

Source: NFL.com

Personal

Peterson was a hyperactive toddler, ramping up his activity while others his age napped. His dad nicknamed him "All Day", which was later shortened to A.D.—his nickname today. Peterson's brother Brian, older by one year, was killed by a drunk driver when Peterson was eight; another half-brother was murdered the night before Peterson participated in the NFL Combine.

In an episode of E:60, ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols states that Peterson has one child, a daughter named Adeja. He currently resides in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his brothers Derrick and Eldon Peterson.

References

External links

Minnesota Vikings bio

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:People from Anderson County, Texas Category:U.S. Army All-American football players Category:African American players of American football Category:American football running backs Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:Parade High School All-Americans (football)