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[SIZE=+2]Peterson's NFL career off to a fast start
[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Vikings' rookie runner wants to show Cowboys he could be special
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]12:01 AM CDT on Thursday, August 30, 2007
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News
cwatkins@***BANNED-URL***
[/SIZE]IRVING – It was a run that proved why running back Adrian Peterson was worth the No. 7 pick in the NFL draft last spring to the Minnesota Vikings.
He took the handoff, went to his right, spun by a defender and raced down the right sideline. As he was getting boxed in along the sideline, he lowered his left shoulder and smashed into a cornerback before falling out of bounds.
The play turned into a 43-yard gain against the New York Jets on Aug. 17.
"That tells you why they drafted Adrian Peterson," former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said during the telecast on Fox.
Peterson's run also reminded some why coach Bob Stoops recruited him to play at Oklahoma.
And now that he's in the pros, Peterson gets to show the Cowboys, his favorite team, how bright his future can be when the teams meet tonight at the Metrodome.
"It's kind of hit me that I'm a pro," Peterson said in a phone interview. "It's still a game, but it's faster and you have to move a lot quicker to the holes because they close up fast."
In the preseason, Peterson has rushed 29 times for 144 yards with one touchdown. He's third in rushing yards among the NFL leaders.
Yet, when the season starts, Peterson (6-1, 217) will be the backup behind starter Chester Taylor, who rushed for 1,216 yards last season, the fourth-highest season total in Vikings history. He also set a team record with 303 rushing attempts.
Minnesota coach Brad Childress sees no need to rotate his backs but does like the potential of Peterson.
"Yeah, just a willing learner, a willing worker," Childress said of the former Palestine (Texas) High School star. "I am glad he was able to get over some of the nicks and nags he had early on.
"He spent a lot of time with [running backs coach] Eric Bieniemy; he lives in his hip pocket. He is hungry for knowledge, and he wants to do it the right way."
The biggest concern for Peterson coming out of college was injuries.
He missed the last seven regular-season games of his junior season at Oklahoma with a broken clavicle, returning to play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State. But Minnesota isn't concerned, because he's getting plenty of repetitions in practice and is told to punish opposing defenders like he did in the Jets game.
"He had a nice little spin move right up the field," Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears said referring to Peterson's run against the Jets. "He's going to be good, man. I watched him in college, and you can't really gauge what's going on right now until the regular season starts.
"But I think he'll be a productive back. He even has a little attitude, and you got to have that. It's good to see."
Peterson, 22, said he's enjoying life in the NFL but hasn't moved family members from Oklahoma and Texas to Minnesota.
Peterson's brother, Derrick, is staying with him in Minneapolis, and even his dad, Nelson, visits him from time to time. When Nelson Peterson was released from prison last year, he wasn't allowed to leave the state of Oklahoma to watch his son play in the Texas-OU game because he was still on parole.
"It's good to have my dad with me," Adrian Peterson said. "He's a big support because he's the first one who put the ball in my hand.
"I think playing against the Cowboys is going to be fun, especially for my dad and I. Being a Cowboys fans and now playing in the NFL, I get to show everybody what I can do."
PETERSON CHASING VIKES' ROOKIE MARK
Though Adrian Peterson isn't the starter, there's a chance he could set some Minnesota records. Here are the top three rushing totals for a rookie in Vikings history:
Year Player Yards
1973 Chuck Foreman 801
1984 Alfred Anderson 773
2001 Michael Bennett 682
[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Vikings' rookie runner wants to show Cowboys he could be special
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]12:01 AM CDT on Thursday, August 30, 2007
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News
cwatkins@***BANNED-URL***
[/SIZE]IRVING – It was a run that proved why running back Adrian Peterson was worth the No. 7 pick in the NFL draft last spring to the Minnesota Vikings.
He took the handoff, went to his right, spun by a defender and raced down the right sideline. As he was getting boxed in along the sideline, he lowered his left shoulder and smashed into a cornerback before falling out of bounds.
The play turned into a 43-yard gain against the New York Jets on Aug. 17.
"That tells you why they drafted Adrian Peterson," former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said during the telecast on Fox.
Peterson's run also reminded some why coach Bob Stoops recruited him to play at Oklahoma.
And now that he's in the pros, Peterson gets to show the Cowboys, his favorite team, how bright his future can be when the teams meet tonight at the Metrodome.
"It's kind of hit me that I'm a pro," Peterson said in a phone interview. "It's still a game, but it's faster and you have to move a lot quicker to the holes because they close up fast."
In the preseason, Peterson has rushed 29 times for 144 yards with one touchdown. He's third in rushing yards among the NFL leaders.
Yet, when the season starts, Peterson (6-1, 217) will be the backup behind starter Chester Taylor, who rushed for 1,216 yards last season, the fourth-highest season total in Vikings history. He also set a team record with 303 rushing attempts.
Minnesota coach Brad Childress sees no need to rotate his backs but does like the potential of Peterson.
"Yeah, just a willing learner, a willing worker," Childress said of the former Palestine (Texas) High School star. "I am glad he was able to get over some of the nicks and nags he had early on.
"He spent a lot of time with [running backs coach] Eric Bieniemy; he lives in his hip pocket. He is hungry for knowledge, and he wants to do it the right way."
The biggest concern for Peterson coming out of college was injuries.
He missed the last seven regular-season games of his junior season at Oklahoma with a broken clavicle, returning to play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State. But Minnesota isn't concerned, because he's getting plenty of repetitions in practice and is told to punish opposing defenders like he did in the Jets game.
"He had a nice little spin move right up the field," Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears said referring to Peterson's run against the Jets. "He's going to be good, man. I watched him in college, and you can't really gauge what's going on right now until the regular season starts.
"But I think he'll be a productive back. He even has a little attitude, and you got to have that. It's good to see."
Peterson, 22, said he's enjoying life in the NFL but hasn't moved family members from Oklahoma and Texas to Minnesota.
Peterson's brother, Derrick, is staying with him in Minneapolis, and even his dad, Nelson, visits him from time to time. When Nelson Peterson was released from prison last year, he wasn't allowed to leave the state of Oklahoma to watch his son play in the Texas-OU game because he was still on parole.
"It's good to have my dad with me," Adrian Peterson said. "He's a big support because he's the first one who put the ball in my hand.
"I think playing against the Cowboys is going to be fun, especially for my dad and I. Being a Cowboys fans and now playing in the NFL, I get to show everybody what I can do."
PETERSON CHASING VIKES' ROOKIE MARK
Though Adrian Peterson isn't the starter, there's a chance he could set some Minnesota records. Here are the top three rushing totals for a rookie in Vikings history:
Year Player Yards
1973 Chuck Foreman 801
1984 Alfred Anderson 773
2001 Michael Bennett 682