Adrian Peterson is a bit of a polarizing figure in the sports community. The 30-year-old is definitely talented, but he’s had some scandals of his own as well. However, despite the fact that Peterson has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Adrian Peterson. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: He Has Kids With Several Women. Peterson has reportedly fathered between six and eight kids with several different women, although the exact number of children is uncertain.
Number Fourteen: He Was a Record Freshman. As a freshman at Oklahoma, Peterson set the NCAA freshman rushing record by rushing 1,925 yards during his season in 2004.
Number Thirteen: He Was the First Freshman to Be a Heisman Runner-Up. Peterson was the runner-up in the vote for the Heisman Trophy in his freshman year, and he was the very first freshman ever to be the runner-up in the balloting.
Number Twelve: Athleticism Runs in His Blood. Both of Peterson’s parents were very talented athletes. Peterson’s father was a shooting guard for Idaho when he was in college; however, he couldn’t pursue his dreams of joining the NBA because he was accidentally shot in the leg by his brother. His mother was a three-time Texas state champion and was a star sprinter and long jumper at the University of Houston, in Texas.
Number Eleven: He Is “All Day.” Peterson’s father nicknamed him “All Day” as a child. The nickname might sound strange, but he earned it because he observed that Peterson could go “all day.”
Number Ten: He Had a Troubled Childhood. Though Peterson’s parents clearly loved him, they dealt with some of their own troubles as well. Peterson saw his 9-year-old brother get killed by a drunk driver when he was just seven years old, and when he was 13 years old, his father was arrested for money laundering within a crack cocaine ring.
Number Nine: He Was Famous by the End of High School. In his senior year, Peterson rushed for 2,960 yards on 252 attempts during the football season. He earned so much street cred for his skills that people would even ask for his autograph at the end of his high school games.