Tag: Adrian Peterson

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Adrian Peterson stiff arms defender into oblivion

Adrian Peterson gave us a lot of special highlights, but none quite like this

Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!

In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.

It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.

On the eighth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Adrian Peterson postering a defender with a stiff arm.

The 2009 season was a special one for many reasons and it all started when Brett Favre arrived at the end of training camp. He wanted to come here in 2008 because he saw this as an opportunity to win a Super Bowl, but Packers general manager Ted Thompson refused to let that happen. He was traded to the New York Jets and patiently waited until he had the opportunity to head to Minnesota.

The beginning of the 2009 season was an exciting one for Vikings fans, as they had a team that looked to be ready to make a Super Bowl run and they did just that, albeit coming up a bit short.

The first game ended up being a 34-20 victory with Favre throwing for 210 yards and a touchdown. The game was competitive early but the Vikings took over in the second half and third-year star running back Adrian Peterson put an exclamation mark on the game.

With less than seven minutes remaining, Peterson took a handoff and took it 64 yards for a touchdown to put the game completely out of reach for the Browns. It was the longest and best run of his 182-yard, three-touchdown performance but that last run was a Sports Center top-10 type play.

Peterson took the ball up the left sideline and when the defender Eric Wright came upon him, Peterson shoved him away like he was yesterday’s lunch.

The play set the tone for a special season and Peterson, as epitomized in this singular play, always brought a sense of excitement.

Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:

Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
Bud Grant Rocks a Polo in Freezing Temperatures

25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Adrian Peterson obliterates NFL record

There wasn’t a better pure runner than Adrian Peterson

Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!

In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.

It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.

On the fifth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Adrian Peterson sets the NFL rushing record.

When the Vikings selected Peterson with the seventh selection in the 2007 NFL draft, it felt like a luxury pick. They had signed Chester Taylor just a year prior and he was great that season in breaking 1,000 yards and being a true all-purpose back. The Vikings took Peterson because he was both the best player on the board and, as we found out quickly, he was special.

His rookie season saw Taylor start early but it didn’t take long for Peterson to take command of the offense. His first game saw him carry the ball 19 times for 103 yards and a 60 yard touchdown on a screen pass.

Week five saw him run for his first 200 yard game, gaining 224 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, but the pivotal week eight game against the Chargers changed everything.

The game was innocuous at the half. The Chargers’ Antonio Cromartie set an NFL record at the half by returning a Ryan Longwell missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead.

Once the second half started, it was the Adrian Peterson show. He scored on runs of 64 and 46 yards while torching the Chargers defense for almost 10 yards per carry on 30 carries.

It wasn’t just a tremendous performance from Peterson, but rather it was otherworldly. The Vikings outscored the Chargers 28-3 in the second half en route to a dominating win.

The game was the best of Peterson’s Hall of Fame career, but it set the tone for both the Minnesota Vikings’ prospects and what Peterson would be moving forward. He announced his presence to everyone who wasn’t paying attention to his excellent season to that point and they took notice when he was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Things continued to skyrocket for Peterson after this game, including the second-best rushing season in NFL history in 2012.

Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:

Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings

Fred Taylor a Hall of Fame semifinalist for 5th straight year

Fred Taylor is one of 25 semifinalists for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. Is this the year he gets in?

Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor is one of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

Taylor, 47, has now been a semifinalist in five consecutive years, but has never made it to the next round of the voting process. In January, the 15 finalists will be announced and the Class of 2024 will be formally introduced days before the Super Bowl in February.

During his 11 seasons with the Jaguars, Taylor accumulated 11,271 rushing yards, 2,361 receiving yards, and 70 total touchdowns. He later finished his career with two seasons as a member of the New England Patriots.

Taylor’s 11,695 career rushing yards are 17th most in NFL history behind 14 Hall of Famers and a pair of likely future inductees in Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson.

Only two players this year, former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates and former Panthers pass rusher Julius Peppers, are semifinalists in their first year of eligibility. Taylor is one of four running backs on the list, along with Tiki Barber, Eddie George, and Ricky Watters.

Also among the semifinalists is Torry Holt, who played 10 seasons with the St. Louis Rams before finishing his career with one year in Jacksonville. Holt has now been a semifinalist in 10 straight years and has been a finalist in each of the last four years.

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Vikings legend Adrian Peterson looking for an NFL return

Despite not being on an NFL roster currently, Adrian Peterson is looking to continue his NFL career

Turns out Adrian Peterson’s playing days may not be over, at least according to the man himself.

In a recent interview with Robert Griffin III, Peterson expressed a desire to return to the NFL, saying “I can still play”. The former Minnesota Vikings running back hasn’t played a game in the NFL since the 2021 season, when he appeared in three games for the Tennessee Titans and in one game for the Seattle Seahawks.

Peterson spent the bulk of his career with the Vikings, coming to the team as a first-round pick in the 2007 NFL draft. When healthy and in his prime, Peterson was arguably one of the best running backs in NFL history.

During his time with the Vikings, Peterson was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, named a first-team All-Pro selection four times, made second-team All-Pro three times, was a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, and won an MVP award.

Peterson finished his Vikings career in 2016, totaling more than 11,000 rushing yards and falling just shy of the 100 rushing TDs mark with 97. Peterson was never able to find the same success elsewhere, bouncing between six teams after the Vikings and only notching one 1,000 yards season — 2018 with Washington.

As for his comeback bid, while Peterson may believe he still has something left in the tank, it’s going to be an uphill battle for him to convince any NFL team of that.

It was a struggle for Peterson to see the field in his final season, only appearing in four games with two teams in 2021, failing to reach the 100 yard mark total that year. Additionally, while most teams are hesitant to look at running backs over 30, Peterson is a full eight years and some change beyond that mark.

Peterson had a storied career in his prime, but those days are long behind him. While he may be able to provide a team with a warm body, teams will likely think they can get the same thing from someone much younger with more potential upside.

It would be a great story for Peterson to make a return to the NFL, but the odds are firmly stacked against him.

Adrian Peterson set to perform on next season of Dancing with the Stars

Former Oklahoma Sooners running back Adrian Peterson is slated to compete on the next season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

Season 32 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars is set to get underway on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. CT. Athletes across the sporting world have competed on the dancing competition over the years, but this year will have a Sooners flair to it.

Legendary Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson will join the case for this season’s edition. Peterson is the 23rd NFL player and third running back to join the show. Former NFL runners Rashad Jennings and hall of famer Emmitt Smith were previous contestants. Smith won the competition back in season three, teaming with Cheryl Burke, and finished fourth in an all-star version of the competition in season 15. Jennings teamed up with Emma Slater to win the competition in season 24.

Peterson has a tradition of running back success to live up to. In his playing career he showed great balance and agility to go along with incredible speed and power that helped “All-Day” become the best back at both the college and NFL ranks.

The future NFL Hall of Famer will team with Britt Stewart for season 32. Stewart’s best finish on the show came in season 31 where she and actor Daniel Durant finished in fifth place. Stewart has also teamed with former Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir and actor Martin Kove, best known for his role as John Creese in the Karate Kid franchise.

Adrian Peterson is a legend of the gridiron and now hopes that will translate to success on the dancefloor.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

10 of the greatest running backs in Texas high school football history

Here are 10 of the greatest high school running backs in Texas history.

Some of the most outstanding performers in the history of the sport got their start playing high school football in Texas. That tradition is especially rich at the running back position, where the state has produced several all-time special athletes. Some of them went on to win Heisman trophies, others had prestigious awards named after them and some even played in the NFL and became Pro Football Hall of Famers.

Here are 10 of the greatest high school running backs in Texas history. All high school stats are courtesy of MaxPreps.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco names himself as a top-5 rusher all-time

#Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco didn’t lack confidence in his recent comments on the All Things Covered Podcast.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco wasn’t hesitant to name himself as one of the top-five running backs of all time during a recent podcast appearance.

Pacheco, who rose to prominence as Kansas City’s leading rusher during the Chiefs’ march to Super Bowl LVII earlier this year, was asked to name his five favorite running backs during his time on the All Things Covered podcast and started his list with the same names many fans would expect.

“I [haven’t] watched football that much,” Pacheco explained, “but I know that I’ve watched highlights. Barry Sanders was on my highlights, A.P. [Adrian Peterson] was on my highlights, LaDainian Tomlinson, and then I’m going to get a little bit into this era, Saquon Barkley. Then… myself.”

With this kind of talk before his sophomore campaign in Kansas City has even begun, Pacheco will have a lot to prove if he intends to make fans and his peers agree with his rankings at season’s end.

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28 days until Vikings season opener: Every player to wear No. 28

Adrian Peterson last wore the No. 28 in a game for the Vikings, wearing it from 2007 to 2016.

The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their 2023 regular season in 28 days at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.

From now until then, we will take a trip down memory lane and count each day by revisiting the players that have worn that specific jersey number.

Wide receiver Jacob Copeland currently wears the No. 28, but it feels unlikely that he will wear the number should be make the Vikings’ 53-man roster.

With 28 days until kickoff, here’s a look at every player to wear No. 28 in a regular season with the Vikings (via Pro Football Reference):

Pair of former Sooner RBs included in PFF’s top 32 in the NFL ahead of 2023

Rhamondre Stevenson and Joe Mixon were included in Pro Football Focus’ top 32 running backs in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a long history of producing fantastic running backs. In recent years, [autotag]Joe Mixon[/autotag] and [autotag]Rhamondre Stevenson[/autotag] have taken up the mantle for Oklahoma at the NFL level after [autotag]Adrian Peterson[/autotag] and [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] passed the torch.

As Pro Football Focus goes through its position rankings, Stevenson and Mixon were included in the top 32 running backs in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season. Stevenson came in at No. 16, and Mixon came in at No. 22.

Stevenson has been very solid to start his NFL career. In each of the past two seasons, he has recorded an 80.0-plus rushing grade. And in both years, he averaged more than 4.7 yards per carry with more than 3.4 yards after contact. The arrow is pointing even higher for Stevenson into 2023 and beyond. — Trevon Sikkema, PFF

Stevenson earned his first 1,000-yard season in 2022, carrying the ball 210 times for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 69 receptions for 421 yards and a touchdown, making him an invaluable part of the New England Patriots’ offense.

Mixon has a ton of production in his career. His 814 rushing yards, 16 explosive runs and 3.9 yards per carry average in 2022 were lower than what you would want to see from both a volume and efficiency standpoint, but he remains comfortable with a heavy workload. That includes the passing game, where he recorded a career-high 60 catches and 414 receiving yards in 2022. – Sikkema, PFF

Joe Mixon has been a steady contributor for the Cincinnati Bengals in his six seasons. He’s had three 1,000-yard seasons and has averaged 4.1 yards per carry. Mixon’s scored 50 touchdowns during his tenure with the Bengals.

Even though he had his lowest yardage total when playing at least 14 games since his rookie season, Mixon’s still an incredibly important part of the Bengals’ offensive attack. As Joe Burrow and the passing game have become the focal point, Cincinnati’s offense will allow Mixon to shine through the passing game.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

What round Oklahoma Football stars have been drafted since 2000

A look back at where each former Oklahoma Sooner was drafted since 2000.

The Oklahoma Sooners had five players selected in the 2023 NFL draft. Led by Anton Harrison’s selection in the first round of the draft, the Sooners had a player in each of the first three rounds of the draft.

Oklahoma’s history of success has led to a rich history of draft picks over the years. Since the year 2000, the Sooners have had 19 players selected in the first round, including three first-overall picks and eight top-10 picks.

The last non-quarterback to be taken in the top 10 of the draft was Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles. Johnson also represented the last offensive lineman taken in the first round of the draft until Harrison was selected on Thursday night.

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Here’s a look at each Oklahoma Sooners draft pick since the year 2000 and what round each player was taken.