Adrian Peterson Aims To Become The Greatest Player Of All Time

Adrian Peterson revealed recently that he may be able to enter the Hall of Fame if he stopped playing since he currently holds the record of the third-highest average in terms of rushing yards-per-game in the league.

He said he wants to become the greatest player ever to play football and does not want to be limited to being remembered as the greatest running back of all time. The running back of the Vikings is confident that he will become a part of the inner circle in the Hall of Fame.

He is already considered as the most dominant tailback of his generation. While an “abusive discipline incident” last year that resulted to a fifteen-game ban may affect his dream of entering the Hall of Fame, he said it may not have an effect on how he will be remembered since it is still a football game, and people are watching what players do on the field.

Adrian Peterson considers Barry Sanders and Delon Sanders as two of the greatest football players of all time, but he added that he has a terrible knowledge of the history of the NFL. Peterson has the opportunity to catch the two Sanders, who are normally ranked from 10 to 20 in the list of Top 100 players.

Despite missing fifteen games last year, Peterson is still in the top ten in terms of rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and yards per attempt in the past eight seasons.

It will be necessary for Peterson to have a long career to give him the opportunity to break the career rushing record of Emmitt Smith. Research have shown that production of running backs normally decline by 15 percent when they reach 28 years old, 25 percent when they reach 29 years old and 40 percent when they become 30 years old.

Adrian Peterson Aims To Be The Best - image credit: usatoday.com

However, research also indicated that Adrian Peterson should not have rushed 2,097 yards within a year after suffering two torn knee ligaments in 2012. His accomplishment was considered as the best individual offensive effort in the history of the NFL by George Cosell, senior producer of NFL Films.

Dr. James Andrews revealed that he was surprised to see that the wear and tear on the knee of Peterson was similar to that of a “newborn baby” when he went through surgery. Adrian Peterson revealed in 2012 that he feels different, his family and his genetics.

Peterson said he feels he just entered the prime of his career and his output in the next six years will match his output from 2009 to 2013. He added that he may continue his high level of play until 36 or 37, which is unprecedented. The most productive 30-something running back in the league was John Riggins, who averaged around 1,300 yards when he was 34 years old.

However, with modern medical technology and effective training methods, the current crop of running backs think they can continue their careers until they are in their mid-thirties. Jamaal Charles of the Chiefs said in May that football and other sports are changing. He cited Kobe Bryant, who continues to play even at the age of 36, along with Tim Duncan.

The workout regimen of Adrian Peterson is legendary even among the elite athletes in the world. Peterson said it is all about taking care of your body and how you look at your age. He added that he believes in “speaking things into existence.” He also believes that words can “carry true power.”

With the 2015 season, Adrian Peterson has a fresh set of legs and a goal that he strives to attain, which he would need in order for him to break the record held by Emmitt Smith.

Posted by Andre Monohan on Tuesday August 11 2015, 6:28 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0