Adrian Peterson | Larry Brown Sports

Cleveland DT Phil Taylor calls out Adrian Peterson for tweet about losing to Browns

September 25, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

After the Minnesota Vikings were shocked by the Cleveland Browns and backup quarterback Brian Hoyer in Minneapolis on Sunday, Adrian Peterson sent out a pretty humorous tweet.

So my daughter is laying here under me and just out the blue she says… I can't believe you lost to the Browns Daddy! Smh

— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) September 23, 2013

Browns nose tackle Phil Taylor did not find it funny. The former Baylor star was proud of the job his defense did in keeping Peterson in check. AP was held to just 88 yards on 25 carries, which works out to 3.5 yards per carry. That’s nothing special for a guy who fell just barely short of breaking the NFL’s single-season rushing record last year.

“We knew playing against the Vikings would be a good test for us, having Adrian Peterson,” Taylor told reporters on Monday, via the Akron Beacon Journal. “We showed what type of defense we’re about. But obviously we still don’t get the respect that we deserve, so we have to keep going out there and doing what we’ve got to do.

“He can say what he wants, but he wasn’t a factor in the game. He had less than 100 yards. The only reason they really scored, they got the ball on the 9, they got the ball on the 26, other than that, it wasn’t really a big game [for their offense].”

You can’t blame Taylor for being upset. Peterson’s tweet was funny because it shows that even his little girl thought the Browns stood no chance against Minnesota. After Cleveland dealt Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts, most people believed the Browns were going to tank the season for a top draft pick. That may be the front office’s plan, but the players don’t intend to make it that simple.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Adrian Peterson, Phil Taylor

Adrian Peterson: I feel I will break Eric Dickerson’s record this year

September 2, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is not shy about expressing his desire to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards. While AP was pleased that he helped his team reach that playoffs last season, he openly admits falling just nine yards short of the record stung.

“I look back on that play and there’s so many things after the case,” Peterson told ESPN’s Bob Holtzman for the SportsCenter Sunday Conversation. “I’m like, ‘Man, maybe I should have cut inside or if I would have broke one more tackle I got have gotten that record.’ It was there to take. It just wasn’t meant to happen, so I’m comfortable with that.”

Peterson then once again reiterated that he is confident he will break Dickerson’s record, possibly this season.

“I feel like I will definitely break it,” he said. “I’m going after it this year. It’s not my main focus. I put a lot of work in during the offseason. One thing I tell myself is that when I’m done working out, I want to know that no one around the world outworked me. That’s a comforting feeling. So with that, I feel like records will come.”

After witnessing what Peterson was able to accompish last season following reconstructive knee surgery, anyone would be stupid to doubt him. He rushed for over 2,000 yards while playing with a sports hernia and his doctor claims he should be even stronger in 2013.

Would I bet against it? Certainly not, but part of me feels we have talked about Dickerson’s record so frequently that people lose site of just how difficult it would be to surpass. Peterson is not the only player who feels he can break 2,105 yards. He is, however, the most likely to do it. That being said, my gut instinct says the record is safe.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson views steroids, HGH chatter as a compliment

July 29, 2013 By Larry Brown Leave a Comment

Adrian Peterson’s incredibly fast recovery from a torn ACL and MCL left people shocked, impressed, amazed, and suspicious. The Minnesota Vikings running back tore two ligaments in late December 2011, yet he returned to play in Week 1 of the 2012 NFL season and proceeded to have one of the best seasons for a running back in league history … while playing through a sports hernia no less.

The reigning NFL MVP said last week that he’s looking forward to HGH testing in the league because he wants officials to catch the cheating players. The irony is that many believe Peterson was using some illegal substance that helped him recover from his major knee injury so quickly and perform so well. Peterson told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he views those suspicions as a compliment.

Peterson said in the interview that he’s heard the suspicious folks on Twitter and on the field.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Football, PEDs Tagged With: Adrian Peterson

Chris Johnson: All the things Adrian Peterson has done, I did them first

July 29, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio 1 Comment

Adrian Peterson has been one of the best running backs in the NFL since the Minnesota Vikings drafted him in 2007. When all is said and done, he could go down as one of the greatest of all time.

Chris Johnson has also been one of the better rushers in the league, but he has declined quite a bit since he rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009 — his second season with the Tennessee Titans. Most people would tell you that Peterson is a better player if for no other reason than work ethic. He rushed for over 2,000 yards last year coming off reconstructive knee surgery, but Johnson wants to remind everyone that he was “CJ2K” before that happened.

“I did it first,” Johnson told Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com. “Not one time did I sit back and say he did something that I can’t do. I did it first. He’s a great back. But I can’t sit here and say out of my own mouth that Adrian Peterson is better than me. All the things he’s done, I’ve done the same things. I did them first.”

When Johnson has room to run, no one is better. He’s arguably the fastest back in the league, but he’s not going to lower his shoulder and run through anyone. Peterson makes his own room by not shying away from contact. Johnson tends to quit if his offensive line isn’t at the top of its game.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson

Adrian Peterson is certain there are players in NFL are using HGH

July 26, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

The NFL and NFL Players Association are getting close to reaching an agreement that would implement testing for human growth hormone. While the progress is probably making some players nervous, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson says he can’t wait for the increased testing.

Peterson’s return to form last year after suffering a torn ACL at the end of the 2011 season was nothing short of incredible. The level he played at after the injury almost defied science, which is why some have speculated that he used performance-enhancing drugs to recover so quickly. According to ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert, Peterson wants HGH testing to help put that chatter to rest.

“I don’t worry about those types of supplements, using those, because I’m all natural,” Peterson said Friday at Vikings training camp. “I work hard. This right here, it’s a test for me personally, that I know that, ‘Hey, I’m clean as a whistle,’ and other guys as well. And then, like I say, it’ll bring some guys to the forefront and be like, ‘Hey, I guess this is how this guy’s been performing so well.’”

While he insists he has never used a banned substance, Peterson said he is certain there are players in the league currently using HGH.

“You’ve got HGH, something that doesn’t show up on a test, and you’ve got guys out there trying to provide for their families,” he said. “They’re going to try to get that edge, get that advantage, especially if they’re not worried about trying to get caught. Yeah, it’s being used.”

Contrary to popular belief, steroids aren’t only an issue in baseball. The confidentiality of failed tests in the NFL protects players’ images, which makes it even more tempting. HGH testing should help counter some of that.

Filed Under: Football, PEDs Tagged With: Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson on gay marriage: ‘I’m not with that’

May 27, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

When superstar athletes express their opinions about gay players in sports, the ripple effect occurs almost instantly. Adrian Peterson gave us a perfect example of that last week when he provided his thoughts on gay marriage.

During an interview with Bruce Murray and Amani Toomer on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Peterson discussed his former teammate Chris Kluwe and the way he was such an outspoken advocate of gay rights. While AP said he does not discriminate against anyone because of their sexual preference, he made it clear he does not support gay marriage.

“To each his own,” Peterson said, via NESN.com. “I’m not with it. But I have relatives that are gay. I’m not biased towards them. I still treat them the same. I love ‘em. But again, I’m not with that. That’s not something I believe in. But to each his own.”

While Peterson will certainly deal with a good amount of backlash for not supporting gay marriage, he was simply being honest. Everyone is entitled to their own personal beliefs, whether they stem from religion or elsewhere. It’s how they handle those beliefs in everyday situations that really makes a difference.

Peterson doesn’t have to support gay marriage. Supporting something and tolerating it or being respectful of it are entirely different concepts. It seems to me that Peterson is saying he does not condone gay marriage, but that he would not judge those who do. There’s a fine line there that is easy to cross, but I don’t think he crossed it with the aforementioned comments.

On a separate note, this NHL star still has the best view on gay teammates.

Filed Under: Ethical Debates Tagged With: Adrian Peterson, gay athletes

TMZ reporter wipes out while asking Adrian Peterson stupid question about gay NFL players (Video)

April 3, 2013 By Steve DelVecchio Leave a Comment

Professional athletes have to deal with stupid questions all the time, but sometimes the unexpected happens that makes it all worthwhile. Earlier this week, a TMZ reporter caught up with Minnesota Vikings superstar Adrian Peterson and asked him a very lame question about gay athletes in the NFL. He wanted Peterson’s take on whether it would be more difficult for a white player or a black player to come out as gay.

As expected, Peterson had no interest in answering the question. He took the route of sarcasm instead, responding that it could be a hispanic or an asian player who comes out. And then, the situation took care of itself. The reporter took a massive spill and someone from Peterson’s entourage yelled, “Down goes Frazier!”

You couldn’t have drawn it up any better. The topic of gay players in the NFL is an important one that has seen an increase in attention lately, but that doesn’t mean people have to reach for ridiculous questions about it. If you do, you might end up tripping over a parking cone and tasting concrete.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: Adrian Peterson, gay athletes