Adrian Peterson Receives Vikings Honor
One of the most prominent Vikings in franchise history will join a select group of people in the club’s Ring of Honor. Adrian Peterson will be this year’s inductee. He’ll join fellow RBs Chuck Foreman and Bill Brown.
The organization shared a video on social media in which Hall of Famer John Randle surprised Peterson with the recognition.
Peterson was Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2007. After dominating at the University of Oklahoma, the runner became the 7th overall pick, the highest-picked Vikings back this century.
Nowadays, it’s almost a sin to select a running back that early in the draft, but Peterson paid back every bit of that investment during his tenure with the Vikings.
Vikings owner Mark Wilf is quoted on the team’s website, “From the moment we selected Adrian in the 2007 NFL Draft, he proved to be a transformational player for the Minnesota Vikings. His historic 2012 MVP season will be rightfully remembered by fans, but Adrian’s consistent production over 10 seasons in Minnesota is what firmly established him as an all-time Viking and one of the greatest to ever play this game. It will be a privilege to welcome Adrian into the Vikings Ring of Honor this year, and we know it’s a matter of time before we are also celebrating his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
Peterson has never formally announced his retirement, but he’ll be eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame next year and he surely has a chance to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Like Randy Moss before him and Justin Jefferson in the 2020s, the 41-year-old was one of those players who single-handedly turned kids into Vikings fans for life.
Owner Zygi Wilf shared his thoughts, “From breaking the single-game rushing record as a rookie to his becoming one of just seven players to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, Adrian was an electric player who captivated fans when the ball was in his hands. His infectious energy and his appreciation for Vikings fans and the team’s role within the community made him even more memorable. Adrian certainly belongs in both the Vikings Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
Peterson carried the franchise on his shoulders for years and his accolades are impressive. In 2007, his rookie season, he broke the single-game rushing record with 296 yards in a game against Ladainian Tomlinson. He was even close to further raising the benchmark, if not for a horse-collar penalty.
A few years later, coming back from a torn ACL and MCL in 2012, Peterson delivered a stunning season with 2,097 rushing yards, resulting in MVP recognition. To this day, he’s the last non-quarterback to win the award. That year, he was the definition of an unstoppable force, running the ball with the perfect blend of speed and power. He missed the single-season record by eight yards.
Throughout his career, Peterson spent ten years with the Vikings, rushing for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns. He led the league in rushing in 2008, 2012, and 2015. Injuries and the long suspension in 2014 prevented him from racking up even better numbers. Still, he ranks first by a wide margin in rushing yards and touchdowns in franchise history, of course.
In the 2017 offseason, the Vikings moved on from their franchise player, but he continued to run the ball elsewhere, playing for New Orleans, Arizona, Washington, Detroit, Tennessee, and Seattle. At the age of 33, he registered another 1,000 season with Washington, including a 90-yard touchdown, which was the longest of his career.
Overall, Peterson gained 14,918 yards on the ground and 120 touchdowns. The yards and the touchdowns both rank him fifth in NFL history.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.