Adrian L. Peterson

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For the NFL running back, see Adrian Peterson (Chicago Bears).
Adrian L. Peterson

Adrian Peterson in his uniform at the University of Oklahoma
Date of birth March 21, 1985 (age 22)
Place of birth Palestine, Texas
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight 218 lb (99 kg)
Position(s) RB
College Oklahoma
NFL Draft 2007 / Round TBD
Career Highlights
Awards 2004 Hall Trophy

Adrian Louis Peterson (born March 21, 1985 in Palestine, Texas) is a football running back, who played for the University of Oklahoma, and is expected to be a Top 10 draft pick in the upcoming 2007 NFL Draft. Nicknamed "AD" ("All Day") by his father for his consistency and work ethic. He suffered a couple of injuries in college which significantly affected his overall statistics.

During his senior year in high school most college scouting reports ranked him the top recruit in the country;[1][2] many even considered him among the best high school running backs ever to come out of the state of Texas.[citation needed] During his freshman season, Peterson broke many NCAA freshman rushing records and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing second to USC quarterback Matt Leinart, the highest finish ever for a freshman. As a freshman, Peterson rushed for 1,925 yards and led the nation in carries with 339.

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[edit] High school career

Peterson played football at Palestine High School coached by Jeff Harrell. As a senior he rushed for 2,960 yards on 252 attempts, an average of 11.7 yards per carry, and 32 touchdowns. He finished his 2002 campaign with 2,051 yards on 246 carries, an average of 8.3 yards per carry, and 22 TDs. Peterson was considered one of the best runnings backs in Texas prep history and consensus national player of the year 2004. He was awarded the 2004 Hall Trophy as the Ball Park National High School Player of the Year. Peterson was also named MVP of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after leading the West squad with 95 yards on nine carries and scoring two touchdowns. Highly recruited, he chose Oklahoma over Arkansas, Miami (FL) and Texas.

At Palestine HS, Peterson also competed in track and field and basketball.

[edit] College career

Peterson runs against Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
Peterson runs against Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

Peterson comes from a very athletic family. His mother was a collegiate track athlete, while his father signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Oklahoma. Personal troubles derailed his father's enrollment at Oklahoma, however, and he ended up playing for the University of Southern Idaho, and later serving time in prison. He was released from prison during the 2006 season, but was precluded from attending any Oklahoma's football games until his release from a half-way house in Oklahoma City. Peterson's father was able to watch his son from the stands for the first time on October 14, 2006. Oklahoma beat Iowa State University in that game, but Adrian broke his collar bone diving into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown run. During a press conference on October 18, Peterson said he was told by doctors to expect to be out for four to six weeks.[3] He was unable to return for the rest of the Sooners regular season, but he was cleared to play in the Big 12 Championship Game. However, he and the coaching staff felt it would be safer to hold him out one more game. He returned for the Sooners' last game against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl where he rushed for 77 yards.[4] He refused to discuss his plans beyond the end of this season with the press.[3] At the time of the injury, Peterson had only 151 yards to gain to pass Billy Sims as the University of Oklahoma's all-time leading rusher. Peterson finished 74 yards short of that mark after the Fiesta Bowl. Peterson is 6'2" about 225 pounds, with his 40 yard dash time reported at 4.38 by Sports Illustrated.

[edit] Career statistics

Statistics up to date as of October 10, 2006. High School stats from Dallas Morning News.[5] College stats from NCAA[6]

[edit] Rushing

Year Team Attempts Yards Average Long TDs Yards/Game Rank*
2003 HS 259 2313 8.9 -- 32 -- --
HS Totals 259 2313 8.9 -- 32 -- --
2004 Okla. 339 1925 5.7 80 15 148.08 6th
2005 Okla. 220 1108 5.0 84 14 100.73 33rd
2006 Okla. 168 935 5.6 53 10 155.83 --
College Totals 727 3968 5.4 84 39 132.27 --
* National rank based on rushing yards per game[7][8][9]

[edit] Receiving

Year Team Receptions Yards Average Long TDs
2003 HS 3 36 12.0 -- 0
HS Totals 3 36 12.0 -- 0
2004 Okla. 5 12 2.4 6 0
2005 Okla. 9 50 5.6 11 0
2006 Okla. 8 127 15.9 69 1
College Totals 22 189 8.6 69 1

[edit] NFL career

On January 15, 2007, Peterson declared that he will forgo his senior year of college and enter the NFL Draft where it is predicted by many that he will be a top 5 draft choice.[10] It was the final day for players to declare for the Draft.

[edit] Scouting report

Peterson has good size at 6'2" and 220 lbs. He has the power to run over a defender and the elusiveness make him miss. He has great speed and has the potential to score on any given play. The main knock on him is durability. Throughout his career at Oklahoma, he has suffered numerous injuries, including a broken collarbone. However, Peterson has been compared to such NFL backs as Shaun Alexander, due to Peterson's strength and tackle-breaking abilities.

At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, Peterson ran a 4.38 unofficial 40 time. The night before the Combine, Peterson's half-brother was killed in an apparent homicide in Houston, Texas.[11]

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Peterson, Adrian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Peterson, Adrian "All Day"
SHORT DESCRIPTION Football player; Running-back
DATE OF BIRTH March 21, 1985
PLACE OF BIRTH Palestine, Texas
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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