ReutersAt age 27, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is inching closer to what would be for most running backs the end of the road. But Peterson isn’t most running backs.
The man who has made it all the way back from a torn ACL in less than nine months and who rushed on Sunday for 153 yards said on Monday’s PFT Live that he plans to play until he’s ready to stop. And that apparently won’t be any time soon.
He mentioned guys like Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, both of whom are still going at age 37. And given the punishment regularly absorbed by linebackers, there’s some correlation between the positions.
Still, few running backs continue to perform at a high level beyond their 30th birthday, much less beyond their 35th. With Peterson, however, it wouldn’t be wise to doubt him.
Then again, maybe it would. Doubting him serves only to push him to prove the doubters wrong.
And for those who think that the fact he’s nursing an ankle injury will make it harder for him to play on Thursday night against the Buccaneers, go ahead and doubt him on that, too.
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Why did you have to fumble 3 times in the NFC Championship! I hate idiots who say he wasted his prime with the Vikings when in his absolute prime he had a chance to carry the Vikings to the SuperBowl and fumbled it away. Still he will have another chance soon if he keeps playing well.
He’s pretty good.
Sure Vikingsfansteve, bring up basically his only bad moment as a Viking. They would have lost that game even if he didn’t fumble. The Saints cheated the whole game.
Peterson is responsible for countless victories. You think they’d ever have gotten anywhere without him?
guy is a beast. sure, fumble at the goal line in the 2009 Championship was brutal, in fact probably changed the outcome, but lets be for real, Brown, Payton, Simms, All Day….if he stays healthy (god he better stay healthy), he will go down with the best of them. GET OUT OF HIS WAY! SKOL VIKINGS!
He’s just a poor man’s Laurence Maroney
Right ankle injury would have me nervous. That means he’s putting more stress on that side of his body to compensate for the lack of trust on his left ACL. Maybe he just needs to build up some strength some more on the left side to be the number one running back that he is??? I’m not a doctor, I just play one on the internet.
Chuck Norris jokes shall soon give way to AD jokes
hey doc its a left ankle injury get the diagnosis right if your gonna play doctor
Another Hall of Famer… without a ring
He’s 27 already? Man time flies.
AD is running harder and meaner than ever,,,Why? Because people doubted he’d ever be the same,,,never bet against this man and his will to be the best!!
AD STUD like it or not it’s the truth.
It ain’t bragging if you can do it and so far, he’s done everything he said he’d do.
AP is the closest thing I’ve seen to Walter Payton, so I don’t doubt AP for a second. He doesn’t need motivation from doubters, either. He motivates himself by trying to be the best. So far, so good.
I plan on eating till I’m full.
word to the wise, just stay out of his way
Who cares how long he plays. Remember all those fumbles in the NFC championship game? I do
We all do Adrian….We all do…
Having tackled this guy for two years in high school, it is my personal opinion that OU did nothing but take miles off his odometer. He was NFL ready after HS graduation. 6’2″ 220, 100 Meter and 200 Meter State Champ. District Defensive Player of the Year in basketball. He wasn’t ready for a full NFL workload in 2005 but I bet he could have been one hell of a change of pace back. I certainly believe he was more NFL ready then than LaMichael James is now.
Don’t most players “plan to play until they’re ready to stop?” Just sayin…..
vikesfansteve says:
Oct 22, 2012 8:04 PM
Why did you have to fumble 3 times in the NFC Championship
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Come on man!! Get your facts right!!
Peterson fumbled twice and the Vikings recovered both fumbles. Favre, harvin and berrian each fumbled once and the saints recovered all three.
Look it up since your memory has obviously failed you.
And I’m going to drive my car until I get there.
saints cheated the whole game? LMAO! you viking fans still cry about that? newsflash, the SAINTS were called for more penalties in that game than your precious vikings were. why do you continue to ignore that fact? you act like the refs were totally one sided for the saints, that sure wasnt the case. in fact , watching the game, it seemed to me the refs were favoring the vikings and the nfl’s dream matchup of favre vs manning in the superbowl more than anything else. get a clue to reality
He might have fumbled a few times that game but he had no turnovers. None of those fumbles were recovered by the saints. and favre got credit for the fumble at the goal line. And to the clown who said he didn’t perform good in his prime. Was his prime only 1 game?
jonbeck316 says:
Oct 22, 2012 8:20 PM
He’s just a poor man’s Laurence Maroney
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Wow dude, you are an absolute idiot. I don’t think anymore needs to be said.
This just in ” all players plan to play until they are ready”!! Well maybe its not “just in” but a few million years ago at least!!
Don’t all players plan to play until they’re ready to stop?
Poor mans Laurence Maroney? Lol are you living in a different universe. Maroney was a stud at Minnesota (university, to clarify for you since you obviously don’t know your facts) and was good his first two years then fell off the cliff some how. Please keep commentary to facts and not mediocre opinions. Adrian has recovered from a major knee injury in an unparalleled fashion and returning to top form faster than anyone in history. My conclusion is that you’re probably a sour pats fan that’s upset about Maroney starting as a boom then later a bust.
Peterson reminds me of Barry Sanders. The best RB in the NFL on a piss poor team that barely sniffs a winning record, much less the playoffs. Forget about winning a Superbowl, but that goes without saying when you’re talking about the Vikings, with or without Peterson.
Name a team that wouldn’t want him as their running back
whatjusthapped says:
Oct 23, 2012 8:13 AM
Peterson reminds me of Barry Sanders. The best RB in the NFL on a piss poor team that barely sniffs a winning record, much less the playoffs. Forget about winning a Superbowl, but that goes without saying when you’re talking about the Vikings, with or without Peterson.
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Since AP entered the league in 07, the Vikings had a winning record twice, loosing record twice, and went .500 once. Plus made the playoffs twice…
So yeah….
The goal line fumble that was charged to Favre was really AP. That makes 3, FACT straight.
He just passed Robert Smith for second most touches in team history and will one day pass Bill ‘boom boom’ Brown at a very young age.
Hopefully one day he can reach for Emmitt, Ladanian, Faulk and Sanders records too. And Sweetness’ of course.
He’s been running like a beast again lately.