Peterson, Adrian (1985-…), ranks among the leading running backs in the National Football League (NFL). He became known for his power as a runner and also for his ability to elude tacklers. In his rookie season in 2007, Peterson set a single-game NFL rushing record with 296 yards. He led the NFL in rushing in 2008 with 1,760 yards, and again in 2015 with 1,485 yards. He led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2009 with 18 and tied for the lead in 2015 with 11. Peterson was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year for the 2012 season. See Football (The offensive team); Football (Advancing the ball).
Adrian Lewis Peterson was born on March 21, 1985, in Palestine, Texas. He starred as a running back for Palestine High School and then played for three seasons at the University of Oklahoma. He made the Associated Press All-America team in 2004 as a freshman. The All-America team, chosen annually by sportswriters, honors the top college football players. Peterson left Oklahoma after his junior year to join the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings selected him as the seventh player in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft. The draft is the process in which NFL teams choose players, usually amateurs from college programs. Peterson was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2007.
In 2014, Peterson was indicted by a Montgomery County, Texas, grand jury on charges of child abuse involving his four-year-old son. The NFL placed Peterson on the commissioner’s “exempt” list, barring him from all team activities until the case was resolved, and suspended him without pay. A U.S. District Court judge overturned the suspension in February 2015, and the league lifted it in April. Peterson became a free agent after the 2016 season. In 2017, he played for the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals. Peterson joined the Washington Redskins (now called the Washington Commanders) in 2018. He joined the Detroit Lions in 2020, shortly after Washington released him. In 2021, Peterson signed to play for the Tennessee Titans, but he was released after playing in three games. Later that year, he signed to play with the Seattle Seahawks.
