Standard lengths on the wall of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London - 1 yard (3 feet), 2 feet, 1 foot, 6 inches (¹⁄₂ foot), and 3 inches. The separation of the inside faces of the markers is exact at an ambient temperature of 62°F (16²⁄₃°C) and a rod of the correct measure, resting on the pins, will fit snugly between them.^[1][2]

A yard (abbreviation: yd) is a unit of length in several different systems including United States customary units, Imperial units and the former English units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches. Under an agreement in 1959 between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, the yard (known as the "international yard" in the United States) was legally defined to be exactly 0.9144 metres.^[3] Prior to that date, the legal definition of the yard when expressed in terms of metric units varied slightly from country to country.

Equivalence to other units of length[link]

For purposes of measuring cloth, the early yard was divided by the binary method into two, four, eight and sixteen parts.^[4] The two most common divisions were the fourth and sixteenth parts. The quarter of a yard was known as the "quarter" without further qualification, while the sixteenth of a yard was called a nail.^[5] The eighth of a yard was sometimes called a finger,^[6] but was more commonly referred to simply as an eighth of a yard, while the half-yard was called "half a yard."^[7]

Other units related to the yard, but not specific to cloth measurement: two yards are a fathom, a quarter of a yard (when not referring to cloth) is a span.^[8]

Etymology[link]

The yard derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon word for a straight branch or rod. In the Middle Ages, the same word (or its variants) had meanings that included measuring rod and rod (16 1/2 feet).^[9][10] The earliest known occurrence of the word (in the sense of "rod") is in Matthew xi. 7 of the Lindisfarne Gospels.^[11]

The word "yard" is a homonym of "yard" in the sense of an enclosed area of land, a word related to the verb "to gird", This second meaning of yard has a completely different etymology from the first and is not related.^[12][13]

Origin theories[link]

The precise origin of the measure is not definitely known. Some believe it derived from the double cubit, or that it originated from cubic measure, others from its near equivalents, such as the length of a stride or pace. One postulate was that the yard was derived from the girth of a person's waist, while another claim held that the measure was invented by Henry I of England as being the distance between the tip of his nose and the end of his thumb.^[14]

Tenth-century king Edgar the Peaceable is sometimes credited with having instituted the yard by a statute known as III Edgar 8.1, dated 959-63, from the Witenagemot at Andover. The statute, which survives in several variant manuscripts, says in effect that the measure of Winchester shall be observed throughout the realm. (A variant reading has it as Winchester and London.)^[15][16][17] The chief proponents of the Edgar theory were Henry William Chisholm (Warden of the Standards, 1867–77) and Captain George Tyrrell McCaw, CMG, OBE (editor of the Empire Survey Review).^[18][19]

The theory that Henry I invented the yard is based on a single line of text in William of Malmesbury's History of the Kings of England (Gesta Regum Anglorum). Translated from the original Latin, it reads: The measure of his own arm was applied to correct the false ell of the traders and enjoined on all throughout England.^[20] The part about Henry's nose was added some centuries later. Even though Watson dismisses as "childish" the suggestion that the original yard was the length of the king's arm, R. D. Connor, in The Weights and Measures of England, says that William of Malmesbury is generally a reliable informant for events taking place in his own lifetime, and that the French pied du roi supposedly derived from the foot of Charlemagne.^[21][22]

History[link]

It was first defined in law by a document thought to date from 1266-1303 known variously as the Composition of Yards and Perches, Compositio Ulnarum et Perticarum, or The statute of ells and perches. The text from the manuscript known as BL Cotton MS Claudius D 2 (as published in Ruffhead's Statutes at Large) reads:^[23]

It is ordained that 3 grains of barley dry and round do make an inch, 12 inches make 1 foot, 3 feet make 1 yard, 5 yards and a half make a perch, and 40 perches in length and 4 in breadth make an acre.

An alternative reading from Liber Horn (as published in Statutes of the Realm) states:^[24]

And be it remembered that the iron yard of our Lord the King containeth 3 feet and no more, and a foot ought to contain 12 inches by the right measure of this yard measured, to wit, the 36th part of this yard rightly measured maketh 1 inch neither more nor less and 5 yards and a half make a perch that is 16 feet and a half measured by the aforesaid yard of our Lord the King.

The Composition of Yards and Perches belongs to a class of documents known as Statutes of uncertain date generally thought to be from c. 1250 to 1305. Although not originally statutes, they gradually acquired the force of law. In some early statute books Composition of Yards and Perches was appended to another statute of uncertain date, the Statute for the Measuring of Land also known as Statutum de Admensuratione Terrase, An Ordinance for Measuring of Land, sometimes (erroneously) listed as 33° Edward I. st. 6. (1305). The Composition of Yards and Perches was repealed by the Weights and Measures Act of 1824 (5 George IV c. 74, par. 23).^[25]

Yard and inch[link]

In a law of 1439 (18 Henry VI. Cap. 16.) the sale of cloth by the "yard and handful" was abolished, and the "yard and inch" instituted.^[26]

There shall be but one Measure of Cloth through the Realm by the Yard and the Inch, and not by the Yard and Handful, according to the London Measure.

According to Connor, cloth merchants had previously sold cloth by the yard and handful to evade high taxes on cloth (the extra handful being essentially a black-market transaction). Enforcement efforts resulted in cloth merchants switching over to the yard and inch, at which point the government gave up and made the yard and inch official. In 1552, the yard and inch for cloth measurement was again sanctioned in law (5 & 6 Edward VI Cap. 6. An Act for the true making of Woolen Cloth.)^[27]

"XIV. And that all and every Broad Cloth and Clothes called Taunton Clothes, Bridgwaters, and other Clothes which shall be made after the said Feast in Taunton, Bridgwater or in other Places of like Sort, shall contain at the Water in Length betwixt twelve and thirteen Yards, Yard and Inch of the Rule, and in Breadth seven Quarters of a Yard: (2) And every narrow Cloth made after the said Feast in the said Towns or elsewhere of like Sorts, shall contain in the Water in Length betwixt three and twenty and five and twenty Yards, Yard and Inch as is aforesaid, and in Breadth one Yard of like Measure; (3) and every such Cloth, both Broad and Narrow being well scowred, thicked, milled and fully dried, shall weigh xxxiv. li. the Piece at the least."

"XV. And that all Clothes named Check-Kersie and Straits, which shall be made after the said Feast shall contain being wet between seventeen and eighteen Yards, with the Inches as is aforesaid, and in Breadth one Yard at the least at the Water; and being well scowred, thicked, milled and fully dried, shall weigh xxiv. li. the Piece at the least."

And once in legislation of 1557-8 (4 & 5 Philip and Mary Cap. 5. An act touching the making of woolen clothes. par. IX.)^[28]

"IX. Item, That every ordinary kersie mentioned in the said act shall contain in length in the water betwixt xvi. and xvii. yards, yard and inch; and being well scoured thicked, milled, dressed and fully dried, shall weigh nineteen pounds the piece at the least:..."

As recently as 1593 we find the same principle mentioned once again (35 Elizabeth. Cap. 10. An act for the reformation of sundry abuses in clothes, called Devonshire kerjies or dozens, according to a proclamation of the thirty-fourth year of the reign of our sovereign lady the Queen that now is. par. III.)^[29]

"(2) and each and every of the same Devonshire kersies or dozens, so being raw, and as it cometh forth off the weaver's loom (without racking, stretching, straining or other device to encrease the length thereof) shall contain in length between fifteen and sixteen yards by the measure of yard and inch by the rule,..."

Physical standards[link]

One of the oldest yard-rods in existence is the clothyard of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors. It consists of a hexagonal iron rod ⁵⁄₈ inch in diameter and ¹⁄₁₀₀ inch short of a yard, encased within a silver rod bearing the hallmark 1445.^[22][30] In the early 15th century, the Merchant Taylors Company was authorized to "make search" at the opening of the annual St. Bartholemew's Day Cloth Fair.^[31][32] In the mid-18th century Graham compared the standard yard of the Royal Society to other existing standards. These were a "long-disused" standard made in 1490 during the reign of Henry VII,^[33] and a brass yard and a brass ell from 1588 in the time of Queen Elizabeth and still in use at the time, held at the Exchequer;^[34] a brass yard and a brass ell at the Guildhall; and a brass yard presented to the Clock-Makers' Company by the Exchequer in 1671. The Exchequer yard was taken as "true"; the variation was found to be +¹⁄₂₀ to -¹⁄₁₅ of an inch, and an additional graduation for the Exchequer yard was made on the Royal Society's standard. In 1758 the legislature required the construction of a standard yard, which was made from the Royal Society's standard and was deposited with the clerk of the House of Commons; it was divided into feet, one of the feet into inches, and one of the inches into tenths. A copy of it, but with upright cheeks between which other measuring rods could be placed, was made for the Exchequer for commercial use.^[35][36]

19th century[link]

Following Royal Society investigations by John Playfair, Hyde Wollaston and John Warner in 1814 a committee of parliament proposed defining the standard yard based upon the length of a seconds pendulum. This idea was examined but not approved.^[37] The Weights and Measures Act of 1824 (5° George IV. Cap. 74.) An Act for ascertaining and establishing Uniformity of Weights and Measures stipulates that:^[38]

From and after the First Day of May One thousand eight hundred and twenty five the Straight Line or Distance between the Centres of the Two Points in the Gold Studs of the Straight Brass Rod now in the Custody of the Clerk of the House of Commons whereon the Words and Figures "Standard Yard 1760" are engraved shall be and the same is hereby declared to be the original and genuine Standard of that Measure of Length or lineal Extension called a Yard; and that the same Straight Line or Distance between the Centres of the said Two Points in the said Gold Studs in the said Brass Rod the Brass being at the Temperature of Sixty two Degrees by Fahrenheit's Thermometer shall be and is hereby denominated the Imperial Standard Yard and shall be and is hereby declared to be the Unit or only Standard Measure of Extension, wherefrom or whereby all other Measures of Extension whatsoever, whether the same be lineal, superficial or solid, shall be derived, computed and ascertained; and that all Measures of Length shall be taken in Parts or Multiples, or certain Proportions of the said Standard Yard; and that One third Part of the said Standard Yard shall be a Foot, and the Twelfth Part of such Foot shall be an Inch; and that the Pole or Perch in Length shall contain Five such Yards and a Half, the Furlong Two hundred and twenty such Yards, and the Mile One thousand seven hundred and sixty such Yards.

In 1834, the primary Imperial yard standard was partially destroyed in a fire known as the Burning of Parliament. In 1838, a commission was formed to reconstruct the lost standards, including the troy pound, which had also been destroyed.^[39] In 1845, a new yard standard was constructed based on two previously existing standards known as A1 and A2, both of which had been made for the Ordnance Survey, and R.S. 46, the yard of the Royal Astronomical Society. All three had been compared to the Imperial standard before the fire. The new standard was made of Baily's metal No. 4 consisting of 16 parts copper, 2 ¹⁄₂ parts tin, and 1 part zinc. It was 38 inches long and 1 inch square. The Weights and Measures Act of 1855 granted official recognition to the new standards. Between 1845 and 1855 forty yard standards were constructed, one of which was selected as the new Imperial standard. Four others, known as Parliamentary Copies, were distributed to The Royal Mint, The Royal Society of London, The Royal Observatory at Greenwich, and the New Palace at Westminster, commonly called the Houses of Parliament.^[40] The other 35 yard standards were distributed to the cities of London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, as well the United States and other countries (although only the first 5 had official status).^[41] The imperial standard received by the United States is known as "Bronze Yard No. 11"^[42]

The Weights and Measures Act 1878 confirmed the status of the existing yard standard, mandated regular intercomparisons between the several yard standards, and authorised the construction of one additional Parliamentary Copy (made in 1879 and known as Parliamentary Copy VI).^[43]

Definition of the yard in terms of the metre[link]

Subsequent measurements revealed that the yard standard and its copies were shrinking at the rate of one parts per million every twenty years due to the gradual release of strain incurred during the fabrication process.^[44] The international prototype metre, on the other hand, was comparatively stable. A measurement made in 1895 determined the length of the metre at 39.370113 inches relative to the imperial standard yard. The Weights and Measures Act of 1895 in conjunction with Order in Council 411 (1898) made this relationship official. After 1898, the de facto legal definition of the yard came to be accepted as 36/39.370113 metres.

In 1959, the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa agreed to adopt the international inch of exactly 2.54 centimetres, and consequently a yard of exactly 0.9144 metre. The USA ratified the treaty in 1960, although the National Bureau of Standards had already begun implementing it in 1959. In the UK, the provisions of the treaty were ratified by the Weights and Measures Act of 1963. The Imperial Standard Yard of 1845 was renamed the United Kingdom Primary Standard Yard and retained its official status as the national prototype yard.^[45]

Schedule 2, Part I of The Weights and Measures Act of 1985 defines the yard as 0.9144 metre, and the metre as the distance light travels in 1/299792458 second. It then goes on to state:

Description of United Kingdom primary standard of the yard A solid bronze bar, about 38 inches long and about 1 inch square in transverse section, marked “Copper 16 oz. Tin 2½ Zinc 1 Mr. Baily’s Metal No. 1 STANDARD YARD at 62°·00 Faht. Cast in 1845 Troughton & Simms, LONDON

Part V Authorised copies of United Kingdom primary standards of the yard and pound ... (e) a bronze bar marked “Copper 16 oz. Tin 2½ inc 1. BAILY’S METAL. PARLIAMENTARY COPY (VI) OF THE IMPERIAL STANDARD YARD. 41 & 42 VICTORIA, CHAPTER 49. STANDARD YARD AT 62° FAHT. CAST IN 1878^[46]

Current use[link]

The yard is used as the standard unit of field-length measurement in American,^[47] Canadian^[48] and Association football,^[49] cricket pitch dimensions^[50] and in some countries, golf fairway measurements.

There are corresponding units of area and volume: the square yard and cubic yard respectively. These are sometimes referred to simply as "yards" when no ambiguity is possible, for example an American or Canadian concrete mixer may be marked with a capacity of "11 yards" or "1.5 yards", where cubic yards are obviously referred to.

Yards are also used in road signs on roads in the United Kingdom^[51] and the United States to specify short distances.

Conversions[link]

• international yard (defined 1959):^[52][53]

1 yard = 0.9144 metre.^[54]

• pre-1959 US yard - defined 1869, implemented 1893^[55]

For survey purposes, certain pre-1959 units were retained, usually prefaced by the word "survey," among them the survey inch, survey foot, and survey mile, also known as the statute mile. The rod and furlong exist only in their pre-1959 form and are thus not prefaced by the word "survey." However, it is not clear if a "survey yard" actually exists.^[56] If it did, its hypothetical values would be as follows:

3937 survey yard = 3600 metre^[55]

1 survey yard ≈ 0.91440183 metre^[55]

0.999998 survey yard = 1 yard (exact)^[55]

1 statute mile = 8 furlongs = 80 chains = 1760 yards

See also[link]

• English units
• Guz, the yard of the Middle East
• Imperial units
• Nail (unit)
• United States customary units
• Vara

References[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2012)

Jasmine Marie Villegas (born December 7, 1993), also known as Jasmine V, is an American teen R&B, pop and soul singer. She has Filipino and Mexican heritage.^[1] After many years of pursuing a career in music she was recently signed to Sony Music.^{[citation needed]} All These Boys is the first single of her album, which was released in 19 October 2010 on iTunes. The release of her debut album is forthcoming.

Early career[link]

When Jasmine was seven years old she won a singing contest at a Hawaiian Tropics contest in San Jose, California. Jasmine was discovered at age eleven when a man heard her singing while she was walking down the street. He was so impressed that he took her to meet his friend Gabriella Mosci who was working for producer and music extraordinaire, Damon Dash [1]. Gabriella saw something special in Jasmine and decided to manage her. A day before Jasmine turned 12 years old she signed to Damon Dash Music Group.^[2] Jasmine began honing her skills in music and acting and was booking jobs in those fields by the age of ten landing her first acting job in a commercial for the hit animated feature The Land Before The Time. Her first professional singing gig was at age eleven when she performed the National Anthem for the Los Angeles Clippers. She has made an appearance in Justin Bieber's music video for his hit single "Baby", portraying his love interest. (Jumpstarting her professional career) She has made appearances in Justin's US tour and on the kids choice awards. Jasmine has also written with famous musician Nick Jonas.

Personal life[link]

Jasmine was born on December 7, 1993 and raised in San Jose, California. Her Mother, Bernadette Villegas is of Philippine descent and her Father, Robert Villegas is of Mexican descent. She has two brothers; one older and one younger, Jream Andrew Vales(JDrew [2]) and Justin Philip Villegas, and she also has a step-brother. Jasmine first started out making YouTube vidoes. After releasing a video for a song titled "Serious", Villegas was able to get a deal with Mosci Music/ Sony/ Epic. Jasmine who has been home-schooled since the third grade began touring at age eleven and in the past 5 ½ years has performed in over 400 shows across country and overseas. She has performed for educational school assembly programs across the country. She has also worked with LA’s Best, a non-profit after school program to perform at 100 elementary schools in the Los Angeles area. She also works closely with other children’s non-profit organizations such as the Geffen Playhouse, Big Brother Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club of America, Special Olympics, and Aspira Foster Care.

Products[link]

Filmography[link]

Guest starring appearances[link]

Music video appearances[link]

Live TV/Pay-per-view appearances[link]

• Singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the following boxing matches:
  • Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez boxing match on 3/15/2008 in Las Vegas
  • Manny Pacquiao vs. David Díaz (boxer)|David Diaz boxing match on 6/28/2008 in Las Vegas
  • Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito boxing match on 7/26/2008 in Las Vegas
  • Juan Manuel Márquez vs. Joel Casamayor boxing match on 9/13/2008 in Las Vegas
  • Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton boxing match on 5/2/2009 in Las Vegas.
  • Victor Ortiz vs. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. boxing match on 9/17/2011 in Las Vegas.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• (2012) TBA

Mixtapes[link]

tracklist[link]

Released Singles[link]

• 2010: "Serious"
• 2010: "All These Boys"
• 2010: "Jealous"
• 2010: "Werk"
• 2011: "Just a Friend"

Songs[link]

• All These Boys
• Angel
• Anything's Possible
• Because I Said So
• Break up song
• Boys Don't Cry
• Breakup Song
• Candy
• Coldest Heartbreak (feat. JDrew)
• Cool Girl
• Didn't Mean It
• First Crush
• Girlfriend
• Good Die Young (Feat. JDrew)
• Hate That I Love You
• Hello
• Hot Like Fire
• I Found You
• I Own This
• If Only You Knew
• Invincible (Feat. Ryan Leslie)
• Jealous
• Just A Friend
• Just A Friend Remix
• Just You And Me (feat. Brandon Kane)
• Kiss Me Thru The Phone (feat. Scooter Smiff)
• Last Breath
• Let Him Go
• Live Your Dreams
• Natural
• Masquerade
• Promise Ring
• Remember My Name
• Ride
• Serious
• So Silly (feat. Tyga)
• Think Big
• This Isn't Love
• Time
• Time Out (Feat. Young Jinsu)
• To The Yard
• Why Can't We Be Friends (feat. Sean Kingston)
• Werk
• You Chose Mine

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Jasmine Villegas at the Internet Movie Database
• Jasmine Villegas on Myspace
• Jasmine Villegas on Twitter
• Jasmine Villegas on Facebook
• Jasmine Villegas at Youtube
• Jasmine Villegas at Youtube Vevo

Marshawn Lynch

Lynch at the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl
No. 24     Seattle Seahawks
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1986-04-22) April 22, 1986 (age 26)
Place of birth: Oakland, California
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Weight: 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College: California
NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12
Debuted in 2007 for the Buffalo Bills
Career history
Buffalo Bills (2007–2010) Seattle Seahawks (2010–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl (2008, 2011) Ranked #94 in the Top 100 Players of 2012 First-team All-American (2006) First-team All-Pac-10 (2006) Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (2006) Holiday Bowl Co-MVP (2006) Las Vegas Bowl MVP (2005) Honorable mention All-Pac-10 (2005)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Rushing yards 4,542 Rushing average 4.0 Rushing TDs 35 Stats at NFL.com

Marshawn Terrell Lynch (born April 22, 1986) is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round (12th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984.^[1] He finished the season with 1,115 total rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Lynch played college football at California, where he was the school's second all-time career rusher with 3,230 yards.^[2]

Early years[link]

Lynch attended Oakland Technical High School. In his 2003 season, Lynch amassed 1,722 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in only eight regular season games, and an additional 375 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in two postseason games. He was voted a PrepStar and SuperPrep All-American and was also voted as the San Francisco East Bay Player of the Year.^[3]

Lynch experimented with other positions in high school. He played defensive back and accumulated 20 interceptions his senior year. His coaches put him at defensive end for one game, and he forced three fumbles. Lynch also played some quarterback and wide receiver in high school.^[4] Before high school, Lynch had originally played as an offensive guard.^[5] Rivals.com had him ranked #1 in the nation as a defensive back, but he decided to stick to his passion at running back. Lynch ended his high school career as the second-ranked running back in the nation in 2004 behind Adrian Peterson by Rivals.com.

In addition to being a star football player, Lynch was also an excellent track sprinter and played on Oakland Tech's basketball team alongside former Cal star and current Memphis Grizzlies forward Leon Powe.

College career[link]

Lynch attended University of California, Berkeley playing for the Golden Bears where his major was social welfare. In an online video posted in February 2008,^[6] Lynch implies he maintained a 3.2 GPA during his time at Cal.

As a true freshman in 2004, Lynch was the primary backup to senior J.J. Arrington. Lynch carried the ball 71 times for 628 yards with 8 rushing touchdowns and an additional 147 yards on 19 receptions and 2 receiving touchdowns.

In 2005, Arrington graduated and Lynch became the starting running back. Even though he missed two games due to a hand and finger injury, he still amassed 1,246 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns on 196 carries and an additional 125 yards on 15 receptions. In the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl, Lynch ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries and was named MVP.

Lynch wore jersey No. 24 his freshman year but switched to No. 10, his high school number. This switch placed him in sequence with his cousins Virdell Larkins (No. 9) and Robert Jordan (No. 11), also teammates at Cal.^[7]

In the 2006 preseason, Lynch earned a spot on the watchlist for the Maxwell Award, was named 8th best player in the nation by Sports Illustrated and earned several preseason All-American accolades.

On July 22, 2006, the Cal football program officially launched the campaign for Lynch to win the 2006 Heisman Trophy with the opening of the website Marshawn10.com, featuring Lynch's highlights from the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons.^[8] Lynch was named to the 2006 All Pac-10 team First Team.^[9] Lynch not only earned various awards, he also scored the game-winning overtime touchdown against Washington. He later called the run his favorite career highlight, after which Lynch spontaneously drove around the football field in an injury cart, pretending to ghost ride.^[10]

Lynch was also named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 and an AFCA (Coaches') All-America in 2006.

In his final game for California, Lynch ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns against Texas A&M in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on December 28, 2006. He shared the Co-Offensive Player of the Game award with teammate, quarterback Nate Longshore.

Lynch had a highly successful career at Cal and holds the school record for most 100-yard rushing games at 17.^[11]

On January 2, 2007, Lynch announced he would forgo his senior season and entered the NFL draft.^[12]

Career statistics[link]

Statistics up to date as of December 28, 2006. College statistics from CalBears.com^[13][14] and ESPN.com.^[15]

Rushing[link]

Receiving[link]

Kick returns[link]

NFL career[link]

2007 NFL Draft[link]

On April 28, 2007, Lynch was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He agreed with the Bills to a six-year, $18.935 million contract. The deal included a $3 million signing bonus and contained $10.285 million in total guarantees.

(* represents NFL Combine)

Buffalo Bills[link]

2007 season[link]

Lynch entered the 2007 season as the starter at running back for the Buffalo Bills. In his first game of the regular season on September 9, he gained 90 yards on 19 carries and scored his first touchdown in a 15–14 loss to the Denver Broncos. His breakout game came on November 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lynch's success on the ground was instrumental in keeping the touted Cincinnati offense on the sidelines, as he rushed 29 times for 153 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run. Lynch also completed a touchdown pass to tight end Robert Royal, the first touchdown pass completed by a Bills non-quarterback since 1981.^[17]

Lynch injured his ankle the following week against the Miami Dolphins and missed the next three games. He returned to play on December 9 for the second game of the Bills' season against the Dolphins, rushing for 107 yards and making his first career fumble. The game marked the first time that the Bills' offense produced two 100-yard rushers since 1996, as Fred Jackson also rushed for 115 yards.^[18] Lynch went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark on December 23 against the New York Giants, scoring a touchdown in the 38–21 loss which resulted in the Giants clinching a playoff berth. This made him the fourth Bills rookie to break the 1,000-yard mark, and the first since Greg Bell in 1984.^[1] He finished a successful rookie season with 1,115 total rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Lynch was expected to be more involved in Buffalo's passing game in 2008, his second season as a pro. The Bills' new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert had stated a number of times that he anticipated Lynch "being in on third down a lot more" this season, citing Lynch's inexperience as a reason he was not very involved in 2007.

2008 season[link]

Lynch was held to a 2008 low of 16 yards rushing in a matchup against the New York Jets on November 2. He did not break 100 yards rushing in a game until November 17 on a Monday Night Football matchup against the Cleveland Browns, when he rushed for 119. The game also marked his first receiving touchdown. Two weeks later Lynch posted a season high 134 rushing yards against the San Francisco 49ers on November 30. Lynch went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season on December 14 in a rematch against the Jets when he rushed for 127 yards. He was able to stay healthy until injuring his shoulder in the second half of a Bills victory on December 21 against the Denver Broncos, during which he rushed for his eighth touchdown of the season. The injury kept him out of the Bills' final game of the season against the New England Patriots. Lynch finished the 2008 season with 1,036 yards rushing and eight rushing touchdowns. He posted 300 receiving yards on 47 receptions, including a receiving touchdown, compared to 184 yards on 18 receptions for the 2007 season. Lynch was selected to his first Pro Bowl, replacing an injured Chris Johnson.^[19] This made him the first Bills running back to head to the Pro Bowl since Travis Henry in 2002. Lynch was initially a first alternate.

2009 season[link]

Lynch carries the ball against the New York Jets in October 2009.

Following his guilty plea on misdemeanor weapons charges during the 2009 offseason, Lynch met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for a disciplinary hearing.^[20] On April 9, the NFL announced that Lynch would be suspended for the Bills' first three games for violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy.^[21] Lynch appealed the league's suspension on May 14 in an attempt to have it reduced or nullified, only to have it upheld by Goodell later on August 3. When interviewed on the topic, Lynch has said that he was not surprised when the suspension was upheld, and that he loves playing too much and will try to keep himself out of situations in which there is a risk of being suspended.^[22]

Lynch played his first game of the 2009 season against the Miami Dolphins and played the rest of the season. Beginning November 29, he was supplanted as the Bills' starting running back by Fred Jackson, who had the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. Lynch finished the season with 450 yards on 120 carries with two rushing touchdowns and did not break 100 rushing yards in a single game.

2010 season[link]

Lynch suffered an ankle sprain in the Bills' preseason opening game against the Washington Redskins and was expected to be out for three to four weeks.^[23] He started three games for the Bills before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks on October 5 for two draft picks, a fourth-rounder in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012.^[24]

Seattle Seahawks[link]

Lynch was traded to the Seahawks - for a fourth-round pick in 2011 and a fifth-round pick in 2012 - on October 5, reuniting him with former Cal roommate and fellow running back Justin Forsett, a seventh-round draft pick of the Seahawks in 2008.

Lynch scored his first touchdown of the season on October 17 on a one-yard run against the Chicago Bears. On December 5, he scored three touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.

In his first career playoff game on January 8, 2011, Lynch had a 67-yard touchdown run in which he broke eight tackles and with one arm threw Saints cornerback Tracy Porter to the ground.^[25] The home field crowd's reaction to the run was so strong that it was recorded as seismic activity at a monitoring station 100 yards from the stadium.^{[26][dead link]} The fourth-quarter run proved to be the game winner, as three minutes later the game ended with the Seahawks defeating the Saints, 41–36, capping one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history.

Lynch had a total of 747 yards during the 2010 season.

2011 Season[link]

Lynch started 15 games, only missing one regular season game on November 23, 2011, due to back problems during warm ups. Lynch finished the 2011 season rushing for 1,204 yards and twelve touchdowns, both career bests and posting his first 1,000 yard season since 2008. On December 18, 2011, Lynch set the franchise record for consecutive games with a rushing touchdown by scoring in his 10th straight game. The previous record of nine was set by Shaun Alexander in 2005. Lynch led the NFL in rushing yardage over the final nine weeks of the season.^[27] On January 24, 2012 Lynch was added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster to replace San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore.^[27] On March,4 2011 Marshawn Lynch signed a 4 year $31 Million contract.

Personal[link]

Lynch has several relatives who have also played professional football. His cousins are wide receiver Robert Jordan, who played alongside Lynch at Cal from 2004–2006, former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell, and quarterback Josh Johnson of the San Francisco 49ers. Lynch's uncle, Lorenzo Lynch, had an 11-year career in the NFL.^[28]

Lynch was nicknamed "Money" in college.^[29] Additionally, he has referred to himself as being in "beast mode" during games.^[30]

While in Buffalo, Lynch embraced the Buffalo community, in stark contrast to former Bills RB Willis McGahee, as noted by an interview with ESPN's Kenny Mayne.^[31] In the video interview, which has become an internet sensation, Lynch talks about his love of Applebees, and his teammates joke that he loves chain restaurants.

Lynch frequently eats Skittles during games, a habit which started when Lynch was in high school. After Lynch was shown eating the candy during a nationally-televised game on December 1, 2011, Mars offered him a two-year supply of Skittles and a custom dispenser for his locker.^[32] On December 30, 2011, he was fined $10,000 for wearing cleats featuring a Skittles pattern.^[33]

Lynch also has an affinity for purchasing grills, saying he's been wearing the gold jewelry since junior high school. After the 2011 season, Lynch purchased a customized Seahawks grill in time for the 2012 season.^[34]

Legal issues[link]

On June 14, 2006, Lynch was the victim of mistaken identity when unknown assailants shot at his car outside his high school alma mater as he was about to visit his little sister on her graduation day. He was not the intended target of the shooting, and no one was injured. The shooter phoned Lynch's mother to apologize.^[35]

On January 25, 2007, Lynch was accused of sexual assault by his former girlfriend. The incident reportedly happened on December 13, 2006, outside the woman's home in Emeryville, California. On January 29, 2007, an Alameda County Deputy District Attorney who specializes in domestic violence cases declined to press charges, citing a lack of evidence and "grave inconsistencies" in the alleged victim's accusations.^[36] Lynch was never arrested or charged.

On March 3, 2007, an Alameda County judge threw out a restraining order that Lynch's ex-girlfriend had issued against him because it was obtained improperly.^[37]

During June 2008, Lynch was investigated for his involvement in a hit and run accident that occurred in Buffalo on May 31, 2008. His 2008 Porsche Cayenne struck and injured Kimberley Shpeley, of Ontario, Canada, before leaving the scene. It should be noted that Shpeley was extremely intoxicated, and dancing in the middle of the street.^[38][39] After the 27-day saga, on June 26, 2008, Lynch apologized and accepted a guilty plea to a single count of failure to exercise due care to avoid striking a pedestrian, a traffic violation. He was assessed a $100 fine, and his driver’s license and car registration were revoked. Because a Buffalo police officer gave testimony that Shpeley did not suffer "severe physical injury," Lynch avoided criminal charges for the incident.^[40] Lynch was later sued by Shpeley on December 28, 2009 for negligence.^[41]

Three days after his 2009 Pro Bowl appearance, Lynch was arrested on February 11 in Culver City, California. Lynch and two companions were sitting in a running 2006 Mercedes-Benz when police approached; after smelling marijuana, the police searched the car and discovered a loaded gun that was determined to belong to Lynch. He was released the same day after posting $35,000 bail.^[42] Lynch's felony charge was reduced to three misdemeanors, and no drug charges were filed.^[43] On March 5, Lynch pled guilty to a single misdemeanor gun charge and was sentenced to three years of probation, and 80 hours of community service. He also agreed to submit to police searches at any time. The two other misdemeanor gun charges were dismissed.^[44]

Lynch was accused of stealing $20 from the wife of a Buffalo police officer in a local TGI Friday's on December 7, 2009. A complaint was filed against him the next day but no charges were ever filed.^[45][46]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marshawn Lynch

• Official website
• Official Blog on Yardbarker
• Seattle Seahawks bio
• Marshawn10.com: Cal's website for Marshawn Lynch
• California Golden Bears bio
• ESPN bio

This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (November 2009)

James Remar
James Remar at the Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 23, 2010.
Born	(1953-12-31) December 31, 1953 (age 58) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1978–present

James Remar (born December 31, 1953) is an American actor and voice artist. He has appeared in movies, video games, and TV shows. He played Richard, the on-off tycoon boyfriend of Kim Cattrall's character in Sex and the City, as Ajax in The Warriors, as the homicidal maniac Albert Ganz in the 1982 comedy/thriller 48 Hrs., Dutch Shultz in The Cotton Club, Lord Raiden in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and more recently as Harry Morgan in Dexter.

Life and career[link]

Remar was born William James Remar in Boston, Massachusetts. He has spent the majority of his film career playing villains. He is known for his roles as the aggressively sexual and violent character Ajax in the 1979 cult film The Warriors and as the murdering sociopath Albert Ganz in the 1982 hit 48 Hrs. (both films were directed by Walter Hill and co-starred David Patrick Kelly, who, coincidentally, is named Luther in both). Remar played real-life '30s-era gangster Dutch Schultz in the 1984 film The Cotton Club. He starred in the 1980 film Windwalker as the young Windwalker. He also portrayed a gay man in the 1980 film Cruising. In 1996, he played Quill, one of the main villains in The Phantom.

Remar was cast as Corporal Hicks in the 1986 science-fiction/horror film Aliens (co-produced by Walter Hill), but was replaced by Michael Biehn shortly after filming began due to "creative differences" with director James Cameron. (At least one piece of footage featuring Remar made it into the final version of the film, when the Marines enter the processing station and the camera tilts down from the Alien nest, though Remar is not seen in close-up.) He is also filmed from the back as the Marines first enter the compound on LV-426 and when "Hicks" approaches the cocooned woman, again filmed from the rear so you are unable to tell it's Remar and not Michael Biehn.

Other films include Drugstore Cowboy, Fear X, Boys on the Side, Hellraiser: Inferno, The Quest, Wedlock, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Rites of Passage, Blade: Trinity, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Girl Next Door and in 1998 he played the patrolman in Psycho. He was also the star of the 1986 film Quiet Cool. He portrayed the character of Raiden in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, the sequel to the 1995 movie adaptation of Mortal Kombat, taking over the role from Christopher Lambert. He then followed this with a role in the 1996 direct-to-video science fiction movie Robo Warriors.

Remar's other appearances include the TV series Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues, Sex and the City, Tales from the Crypt, Jericho, Third Watch, Justice League Unlimited and Battlestar Galactica, as well as appearing as a possessed mental patient in the X-Files ninth season episode "Daemonicus". He was in the miniseries The Grid (2004) as Hudson "Hud", the love interest of Julianna Margulies' character. He starred as Tiny Bellows on the short-lived television series, The Huntress. He had a recurring guest role in the television series Jericho on CBS.

Since 2006, Remar has co-starred in Dexter on Showtime. Remar was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Dexter Morgan's adoptive father, Harry Morgan.^[1] He also had a role in the 2009 horror movie The Unborn (this film also had actor C.S. Lee, who portrays Vince Masuka in Dexter). In 2008 he played a brief role as General Bratt in the prologue of Pineapple Express. In 2010, he did a guest role as Giuseppe Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries.^[2] In 2010, Remar had a guest role on FlashForward playing a character called James Ermine, a general for Jericho, a black-ops military contractor. Remar did a very memorable cameo scene in the famous late 70s Western "The Long Riders" when he faced David Carradine's character in a bar fight over a woman that Remar's character was married to.

He also voiced Vilgax in Ben 10: Alien Force and Ultimate Alien replacing Steven Blum. He guest starred in Private Practice in 2010, playing a physician named Gibby who works with Doctors Without Borders.^[3] He voiced Cpt. Jason Narville in Killzone 3. Remar was featured in the 2011 film X-Men: First Class and voiced the Autobot Sideswipe in the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon replacing André Sogliuzzo. He has also been cast in the 2011 heist film Setup and in Transformers: Prime. He also stars in the film Arena. In September 2011 it was announced that Remar would be starring in Quentin Tarantino's new film Django Unchained.^[4]

Work[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: James Remar

• James Remar at the Internet Movie Database

Adrian Peterson

Peterson playing for the Minnesota Vikings
No. 28     Minnesota Vikings
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1985-03-21) March 21, 1985 (age 27)
Place of birth: Palestine, Texas[1][2][3]
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 217 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school: Palestine (TX)
College: Oklahoma
NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7
Debuted in 2007 for the Minnesota Vikings
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (2007–present)
Roster status: Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
Hall Trophy (2003) ESPN RISE High School Football Player of the Decade (2000s)[4] Consensus All-American (2004) College awards and honors AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2007) PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year (2007) Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year (2007) 4× Pro Bowl (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) 4× All-Pro (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) NFC rushing leader (2007) NFL Rushing Title (2008) Pro Bowl MVP (2008) FedEx Ground Player of the Year Award (2008) Bert Bell Award (2008) NFL awards NFL records
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Rushing yards 6,752 Average rushing yards 4.8 Rushing TDs 64 Receptions 137 Receiving yards 1,309 Receiving TDs 3 Stats at NFL.com

Adrian Lewis Peterson^[1] (born March 21, 1985), nicknamed "A. D." (for "All Day"), "A. P." and "Purple Jesus",^[5] is an American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL).^[6] Peterson was selected by the Vikings with the seventh overall pick in 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 during the 2004 season. As a First-team All-American, he became the first freshman to finish as the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting behind USC quarterback Matt Leinart. Peterson finished his college football career as the Sooners' third all-time leading rusher.^[7]

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.^[8] He 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. In 2010, he became the fifth fastest player to run for 5,000 yards, doing so in his 51st game. Currently, Peterson has the fourth highest average rushing yards per game total in NFL history (min. 50 games) with an average of 92.5, trailing Jim Brown (104.3), Barry Sanders (99.8) and Terrell Davis (97.5).

Early years[link]

Born in Palestine, Texas, to Bonita Brown and Nelson Peterson, who were also star athletes in college.^[9] His father was a shooting guard for Idaho State, however, his dream of an NBA career was derailed when a gun that his brother was cleaning discharged into his leg.^[9][10] His mother, a three time Texas state champion at Westwood High School, attended the University of Houston on an athletic scholarship and was a sprinter and long jumper.^[9] Peterson's best friend was his older brother, Brian. Adrian was nicknamed "All Day," which was later shortened to A.D., by his father because he was a hyperactive kid.^[11]

When he was seven, he saw his older brother, Brian, 9, killed by a drunken driver, as he rode his bicycle.^[11] It was around that time that Peterson began to deal with his pain through sports and became interested in football; he began playing at the age of 7.^[12] He was the star of the Pee Wee football team coached by his father and played in the popular Pop Warner Football program when he was twelve.^[1] When Peterson was thirteen, his father was arrested for laundering money for a crack cocaine ring.^[11]

Peterson continued his interest in athletics into high school, where he competed in track and field, posting a wind-assisted time of 10.33 seconds^[13] in the 100 meters, basketball, and football at Palestine High School.^[2] Peterson was most notable in football, which he played during his junior and senior years.^[14] During his sophomore year, he was not eligible to play for the Palestine High varsity football team.^[9] 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.^[2] It was during his junior year that he began to attract the attention of Division I recruiters and realized he would likely have his pick of colleges after his senior year.^[9]

As a senior in 2003–2004, he rushed for 2,960 yards on 252 attempts, an average of 11.7 yards per carry, and 32 touchdowns.^[2] After a game, players from the other team asked for his autograph.^[9] Following Maurice Clarett's unsuccessful attempt to sue the NFL over its 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 Peterson.^[15]

After considering schools such as Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, Arkansas, and Miami,^[16] he decided that he wanted to go to a school where he could be a difference-maker in a national championship run and narrowed his choices down to USC and Oklahoma.^[9] 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.^[17] Following the season, he was awarded the Hall Trophy as the U.S. Army National Player of the Year.^[17] In addition, he was named the top high school player by College Football News and Rivals.com.^[2]

College career[link]

Freshman season[link]

Peterson before a game against Washington Huskies.

During his freshman season at Oklahoma, Peterson broke many NCAA freshman rushing records, rushing for 1,925 yards and leading the nation in carries with 339.^[6] In the first nine games of the season, he rushed for more than 100-yards, which is a freshman record.^[18] He rushed for 100 yards in the season opener against Bowling Green,^[19] 117 yards against Houston, 183 yards against Oregon, 146 yards against Texas Tech, 225 yards against Texas, 130 yards against Kansas State, and 122 yards against Kansas.^[18][20]

Against Oklahoma State on October 30, 2004, Peterson had an 80-yard touchdown run and rushed for 161 yards in the third quarter, finishing with a career-high 249 yards.^[21] Despite dislocating his left shoulder in the first half, he managed to run for 101 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, his ninth straight 100-yard game, against Texas A&M.^[22] In the next game, he saw little action because of his shoulder injury and finished with 58 yards, which ended his streak of consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing at 9.^[23] In a game versus Baylor, Peterson ran for 240 yards, including three second-half touchdowns,^[24] and set the NCAA record for most 100-yard games by a freshman with 11 against Colorado.^[25] Oklahoma, who were one of the poorest rushing teams the year before, became one of the nation’s best.

Despite his record-breaking season, he finished second to USC quarterback Matt Leinart in the Heisman Trophy voting, which was the highest finish ever for a freshman.^[6] Among other honors, he was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award,^[26] and the first Oklahoma freshman recognized as a First-Team Associated Press All-American.^[6] Peterson contributed to a perfect regular season for the Oklahoma Sooners and participated in the 2005 BCS National Championship Game with a berth to the 2005 Orange Bowl against USC Trojans.^[26] USC retooled their defense to stop Peterson and limited him to just 82 yards, as the Trojans defeated the Sooners, 55-19. USC later vacated the win due to NCAA infractions. After the season, he had surgery on his left shoulder to strengthen the muscles around the joint.^[9]

Sophomore season[link]

In 2005, Peterson's playing time was limited by a high ankle sprain.^[2] He injured his ankle in the first Big 12 Conference game of the season against Kansas State University.^[28] 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.^[6] His 2005 season was also notable for a career-long 84-yard touchdown run against Oklahoma State University.^[6] Oklahoma finished the season with an 8–4 record, the worst season since 1999. They finished third in the Big 12 behind the Texas Longhorns and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Sooners would represent the Big 12 in the Holiday Bowl where they defeated the sixth-ranked Oregon Ducks, 17–14.^[29] On July 11, 2007 the NCAA announced the Sooners would have to vacate all victories from the 2005 season, including the bowl game, due to NCAA violations.^[30] Upon the conclusion of the season, he was named a member of the All-Big 12 Conference team.^[6]

Junior season[link]

Peterson runs against Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

Peterson's father, 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,^[12] when Oklahoma played Iowa State University. Oklahoma defeated Iowa State in that game, however, on the final drive for the Sooners, Peterson broke his collar bone when he attempted to dive into the end zone on a 53-yard touchdown run.^[31] During a press conference on October 18, Peterson said he was told by doctors to expect to be out for 4–6 weeks.^[32] 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.^[33] He was unable to return for the rest of the Sooners' regular season and missed seven games. The Sooners would turn to Allen Patrick, a junior, and Chris Brown, a freshman to replace Peterson. The team went on a seven game winning streak including winning the Big 12 Championship game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.^[34] He returned for their last game against Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, where he rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.^[31] He refused to discuss his plans beyond the end of this season with the press.^[32] He concluded his college football career with 1,112 rushing yards his final season, even after missing multiple games due to injury ^[35] for a total of 4,045 rushing yards (only 3 seasons).^[36] He was 73 yards short of passing Billy Sims as Oklahoma's all-time leading rusher.^[36]

Awards and honors[link]

• 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[link]

Pre-draft[link]

On January 15, 2007, Peterson declared that he would forego his senior year of college and enter the 2007 NFL Draft.^[37] 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.^[2] His rare talent as both a great breakaway and power runner has often raised comparisons to past legends, including Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, O. J. Simpson, Franco Harris and Jim Brown.^[38] Concerns about his injuries suffered during college were noted by the media and potential NFL teams.^{[7][12][39][40]} He started 22 out of 31 games in his college career and had a dislocated shoulder his first year (although he did not miss any games), a high ankle sprain his sophomore year, and a broken collarbone his final year at Oklahoma.^[7] His durability was a consideration for at least two teams in their draft analysis,^[40] which impacted selection position. Prior to the 2007 NFL Draft, Peterson was compared by professional football scouts to Eric Dickerson.^[41] 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."^[42]

Minnesota Vikings[link]

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."^[44]

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."^[45] He later told the Star Tribune in an interview, "I want to be the best player to ever play this game."^[46] Nearly three months after being drafted, he was signed by the Vikings on July 29, 2007. His contract was worth US$40.5 million over six years, with $17 million guaranteed.^[47]

2007 season[link]

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 was formerly held by Eric Dickerson at 1,808 yards.^[48] 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.^[49]

On August 10, Peterson made his Minnesota Vikings debut in a preseason game against the St. Louis Rams.^[50] Peterson ran for 33 yards on 11 carries with 1 catch for 2 yards.^[51] On September 9, 2007, Peterson ran for 103 yards on 19 carries in his first NFL regular season game against the Atlanta Falcons.^[52] In addition to his rushing yardage, he scored his first professional football touchdown on a 60-yard pass reception.^[52] Over his first three regular season games, his 431 yards (271 rushing & 160 receiving) from scrimmage are a team record.^[53] For his performance during the three games, Peterson received the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month award for both September and October 2007.^[54][55]

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.^[56] 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.^[57] 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.^[58] 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."^[59] He has also been compared to Walter Payton and Tony Dorsett by Star Tribune sports journalist Jim Souhan.^[60]

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.^[61][62] That game was his second game of over 200 yards rushing, a feat no other rookie has ever accomplished in a season.^[63] 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.^[63] His 1,036 rushing yards represents the best eight-game performance by a rookie in NFL history.^[64]

Peterson splitting defenders in the 2008 Pro Bowl.

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.^[65] The injury occurred in the third quarter of a 34–0 defeat at Lambeau Field on a low tackle by Packers cornerback Al Harris.^[65] Almost a month after the injury, Peterson returned to action on December 2, 2007 against the Detroit Lions scoring 2 touchdowns and rushing for 116 yards.^[66]

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.^[8]

On February 10, 2008, Peterson won the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl MVP award with 16 carries for 129 yards rushing along with 2 touchdowns. The 129 yards rushing was the 2nd most in Pro Bowl history. He was the first rookie since Marshall Faulk in 1994 to win the Pro Bowl MVP award.^[67] 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.^[68]

2008 season[link]

Peterson in a 2008 NFC Wild Card game against the Eagles

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.^[69] 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 in rushing 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[link]

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 number 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[link]

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. Peterson, who was infamous for fumbling the ball in previous seasons, had a dramatic change in the 2010 season with only one fumble during the regular season, a remarkable turnaround from his previous performances. While the Vikings missed the playoffs, Peterson represented his team in the Pro Bowl. Peterson thus far has been selected to the Pro Bowl every year he has played in the NFL. During the game, Peterson contributed 80 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 55-41 NFC win. After the season, Adrian Peterson was voted the # 1 running back and # 3 player overall on NFL Network's list of the Top 100 Players of 2011 as selected exclusively by NFL players. Peterson forced 53 missed tackles and 877 yards after contact only carrying the football 283 times, proving why he is the best back in the league today.

2011 season[link]

According to NFL.com, Peterson is ranked as the third best player in the NFL for the 2011 season, behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. On September 10, 2011 the Vikings signed Peterson for $96 million dollars over the course of seven seasons, making him the highest paid running back in NFL history.^[70] Peterson reached the 6,000 yard milestone on September 18, 2011 in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On October 9, Peterson scored three touchdowns in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals, setting a new franchise record. He would later earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance during the game.^[71] In a week 10 contest against the Oakland Raiders, Adrian suffered a high ankle sprain late in the first quarter, he was then later ruled out for their week 11 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

On December 24, 2011, Peterson was injured and helped off the field in a 33-26 victory over the Washington Redskins. He was placed onto injured reserve due to a torn ACL and MCL on December 26, 2011.

For the first time in his career, Peterson failed to record a 1,000-yard season after playing only 12 games during the year.

NFL awards[link]

• 2007 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
• 2007 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year
• 2007 Second-Team All-Pro
• 2007 Pro Bowl MVP
• 2007 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
• 2010 Second-Team All-Pro

NFL records[link]

• 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)
• Pro Bowl record in career rushing touchdowns (4)

Career statistics[link]

Source: NFL.com

Personal[link]

Peterson has a half-brother named Jaylen Brown who currently plays football at Klein Oak High School in Texas as its running back. 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 seven; another half-brother was murdered the night before Peterson participated in the NFL Combine.^[72]

In an episode of E:60, ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols states that Peterson has two children,^[73] including a daughter named Adeja.^[74] He currently resides in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his brothers Derrick and Eldon Peterson.^[75]

Recently, as the NFL network series Top 100 - NFL players of 2011 concluded, Peterson was voted as the number 3 player in the league, behind only quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.^[76]

References[link]