One of Adrian Peterson’s new Lions teammates admits to the running back being his boyhood idol.
Which, is kind of just another way to say he’s old.
Either way, 24-year Lions center Frank Ragnow grew up in Minnesota, so he had a great view of the 35-year-old Peterson’s glory years with the Vikings. Now, he’s nervous about introducing himself to his new teammate.
“I was freaking out so much,” Ragnow said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “What year was he drafted, what was it like [2007] or something like that? I think I got a jersey right when he entered the league and I remember, A.D., All Day baby. I remember him running for 296 [yards] vs. the Chargers. I mean, wild. Just wild. I can’t even describe it. My family’s freaking out, all my friends back home are freaking out. It’s pretty cool.”
He said when he met Peterson at the office, he stuck with a simple: “Hey, I’m Frank.”
"[Inside I was like,] ‘I’m Frank and I’m from Minnesota and oh my God, oh my God,’ but I tried to keep it cool,” Ragnow said.
Peterson’s also earned the admiration of his younger peers by playing well recently, as his production in Washington justifies the respect, whether Ragnow is cool or not.