Adrian Peterson Biography
Adrian Lewis Peterson was born on March 21, 1985, in Palestine, Texas, which is a small town between Houston and Dallas. His parents, Bonita Brown and Nelson Peterson, were college athletes. Nelson was a Basketball Player (Guard) for Idaho State and beginning an NBA Career. The dream was shattered when a gun that his brother was cleaning discharged into his leg. After several surgeries, he accepted the fact that his basketball career wasn’t going to happen.
Adrian’s mother, Bonita Brown, was a champion track and field athlete in Texas and a three-time champion at Westwood High School. She attended the University of Houston on an athletic scholarship as a sprinter, and long jumper.
Adrian was a hyperactive child, which didn’t sleep very much. His dad nicknamed him “All Day,” which was later shortened to A.D. It ended being his nickname and still used in the NFL.
Adrian’s best friend when he was little was his older brother, Brian. Brian and Adrian were the two fastest kids in the neighborhood. They both loved to play sports. When Adrian was seven, Brian was riding his bike when a drunk driver hit and killed him. The tragedy occurred after Adrian’s parents had separated. The boys were living outside Dallas in Oak Cliff with their aunt, Bonita’s sister. After this tragedy, Adrian and his mom moved back to Palestine, so the youngster could be closer to his father and grandmother.
It was around that time that Adrian began to use sports to deal with the pain of losing his brother. He was the star of the Pee Wee football team coached by his father. His father taught Adrian to meet force with force. Instead of trying to elude tacklers, sometimes it was smarter to hit them head-on.
His father wanted Adrian to succeed. Education came first. When Adrian received an “F” on his report card, his father benched the star athlete on his Pee Wee football team until the received a passing grade.
While at the University of Oklahoma, Peterson set an NCAA rushing record with 1,925 yards as a freshman, was a first team All-American, and was runner up for the Heisman Trophy. He ended up being University of Oklahoma’s 3rd time leading rusher.
Peterson went to the Minnesota Vikings and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, MVP in the Pro Bowl in his rookie year, and the 5th player to have more than 3,000 yards in his first two seasons. His success in the NFL have many collectors looking to purchase many of his football cards. Some of the best Adrian Peterson rookie cards are definitely worth buying at their current prices. Some Adrian Peterson rookie cards are already selling for over $1000 which is amazing when you consider how young he is.
