Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson hasn’t carried the ball for the team since 2016, but it may be hard for Vikings fans to consider him a past legend. Peterson’s last carry in the NFL came in 2021, and he has never formally retired from the sport of football.
But even if fans don’t consider his playing days in Minnesota to be that long ago, his latest news may make them instantly feel old.
According to Rivals, Peterson’s 14-year-old son, Adrian Peterson Jr., has received a scholarship offer to play football for the Miami Hurricanes.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson also shared that the Class of 2030 member has already received scholarship offers from Baylor and Missouri State, in addition to Miami, and he’s likely to get more offers from Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU and “several other top programs.”
Hopefully, you were sitting down for this news, and it may not be as bad as it seems, considering Peterson Jr. isn't even in high school yet.
But for Vikings fans who remember his father dashing through opposing defenses and becoming one of the best running backs in NFL history, it may be a culture shock to see his son already creating waves in the sport of college football.
Son of former Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson emerging as next big college football star
While he may be a teenager, Peterson Jr. is off to a great start in his football career.
Wilson touted him as “a record-smashing phenom in football, track and field and baseball” and “a 4.0 grade point average scholar athlete,” scheduled to attend Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, Texas, next fall.
Given his name, running back is a position where Peterson has made an impact, but Wilson notes he’s been used all over the field as he approaches his high school career.
“A 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver, running back, and defensive back, Peterson Jr. is impressive in all facets of football.
His routes are pinpoint and explosive. His acceleration is unique. His ability to track the football is uncommon.
He’s an elusive touchdown machine with great vision for the end zone. Of course, it helps to have incredible bloodlines.”
As Wilson alluded to, the elder Peterson has also made a positive impact on his son, instilling the work ethic that made him one of the greatest running backs in the history of the Vikings and the NFL.
“I train hard, I’ve always worked hard, I got that from my dad,” Peterson Jr. told Wilson. “The work ethic I’ve put in, everything that I’ve done overall my whole life, I’ve always known what to do, just pushing through. I feel like that mindset towards a sport I love, that’s really helped me a lot through this journey.”
The elder Peterson was the seventh overall pick by the Vikings in the 2007 NFL Draft and instantly became a superstar when he landed in Minnesota.
While his 14,918 career rushing yards rank fifth in NFL history behind Barry Sanders, Frank Gore, Walter Payton, and Emmitt Smith, most of that production came with the Vikings, where he accumulated a franchise-record 11,747 total rushing yards.
Peterson’s career has been a strange journey since leaving Minnesota, spending time with the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks.
But the 41-year-old has been out of the league for a while and may be leaving his legacy to his standout son.
For the younger Peterson, his journey is just beginning. But for Vikings fans, it may be a reminder of just how long ago his father was running on the turf in Minnesota.
With Marvin Harrison Jr., Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Surtain II, and Antoine Winfield as second-generation stars in the NFL, Peterson could soon join the list of proud fathers and watch his son rake in big-time collegiate offers when his high school career begins this fall.
Add us as a preferred source on Google