Ed Orgeron has always been known for being an amazing recruiter, and Adrian Peterson once experienced first-hand just how far the coach is willing to go in an attempt to land a star player.
During a recent appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Orgeron was asked if there is a recruit who really broke his heart during his coaching career. He said Peterson without hesitation. Orgeron then proceeded to tell the story of how he tried to arrange for a prison transfer for Peterson’s father, who was incarcerated at the time.
Peterson’s father was arrested for money laundering in a drug ring when the running back was 13. Orgeron, who was an assistant under Pete Carroll at USC, said he recruited Peterson in the early-2000s and asked him what it would take to get him to commit to the Trojans. Peterson said a big factor in his decision was that his dad would be able to watch his games in the prison where he was incarcerated if he attended Oklahoma.
This Adrian Peterson recruiting story from Coach O is some of the wildest stuff I’ve ever heard pic.twitter.com/HEHvTIfYDl
— Chase Snyder (@ChasingSnyder) February 11, 2022
“I tried to get the guy transferred to Los Angeles,” Orgeron said. “I competed. Couldn’t get it done, but I competed.”
Peterson eventually committed to the Sooners.
There clearly wasn’t a whole lot Orgeron could have done to change Peterson’s mind. We know the former LSU coach was “sick” over missing out on another star running back more recently, but the Peterson situation was out of his control. There’s doing everything you can to land a recruit, and then there’s trying to arrange for a prison transfer. That is the definition of pulling out all the stops.
Photo: Sep 18, 2021; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron looks on against Central Michigan Chippewas during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
