Adrian Peterson - Early Years

Early Years

Born in Palestine, Texas, to Bonita Brown and Nelson Peterson, who were also star athletes in college. His father was a shooting guard for Idaho State, however, his dream of an NBA career was derailed when a gun that his brother was cleaning discharged into his leg. His mother, a three time Texas state champion at Westwood High School, attended the University of Houston on an athletic scholarship and was a sprinter and long jumper. Peterson's best friend was his older brother, Brian. Adrian was nicknamed "All Day," which was later shortened to A.D., by his father because he was a hyperactive kid.

Adrian Peterson is also the nephew of Ivory Lee Brown (a former NFL running back).

When he was seven, he saw his older brother, Brian, 9, killed by a drunken driver, as he rode his bicycle. It was around that time that Peterson began to deal with his pain through sports and became interested in football; he began playing at the age of 7. He was the star of the Pee Wee football team coached by his father and played in the popular Pop Warner Football program when he was twelve. When Peterson was thirteen, his father was arrested for laundering money for a crack cocaine ring.

Peterson continued his interest in athletics into high school, where he competed in track and field, posting a wind-assisted time of 10.33 seconds in the 100 meters, basketball, and football at Palestine High School. Peterson was most notable in football, which he played during his junior and senior years. During his sophomore year, he was not eligible to play for the Palestine High varsity football team. Peterson's 2002–2003 campaign as a junior ended with 2,051 yards on 246 carries, an average of 8.3 yards per carry, and 22 touchdowns. It was during his junior year that he began to attract the attention of Division I recruiters and realized he would likely have his pick of colleges after his senior year.

As a senior in 2003–2004, he rushed for 2,960 yards on 252 attempts, an average of 11.7 yards per carry, and 32 touchdowns. After a game, players from the other team asked for his autograph. Following Maurice Clarett's unsuccessful attempt to sue the NFL over its age limit in 2004, there was considerable debate over whether any high school football player might be able to make the leap from the preps to the pro game. The player most frequently mentioned was Peterson.

After considering schools such as Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, Arkansas, and Miami, he decided that he wanted to go to a school where he could be a difference-maker in a national championship run and narrowed his choices down to USC and Oklahoma. Concluding his high school football career at the annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he led the West squad with 95 yards on 9 carries and scored 2 touchdowns, and announced at the game that he would attend college at Oklahoma. Following the season, he was awarded the Hall Trophy as the U.S. Army National Player of the Year. In addition, he was named the top high school player by College Football News and Rivals.com.