Age: 23
2nd season in pro football & with Vikings
College: Oklahoma
Height: 6’1” Weight: 217
Prelude:
Taken by the Vikings in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft, Peterson made an immediate impact as he rushed for 1341 yards as a rookie, including a single-game record 296 yards against San Diego. If there was any downside, it came in the knee injury that caused him to miss two games, his lesser numbers as defenses stacked the line to stop him when he returned, and his mediocre pass blocking. Still, with his combination of speed and power, he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
2008 Season Summary
Appeared in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 363 [2]
Most attempts, game - 30 (for 192 yds.) vs. Green Bay 11/9
Yards – 1760 [1]
Most yards, game – 192 yards (on 30 carries) vs. Green Bay 11/9
Average gain – 4.8 [8]
TDs – 10 [8, tied with four others]
100-yard rushing games - 10
Pass Receiving
Receptions – 21
Most receptions, game – 4 (for 20 yds.) vs. Indianapolis 9/14, (for 21 yds.) at Tennessee 9/28
Yards – 125
Most yards, game - 33 (on 3 catches) vs. Green Bay 11/9
Average gain – 6.0
TDs – 0
Kickoff Returns
Returns – 1
Yards – 16
Average per return – 16.0
TDs – 0
All-Purpose Yards – 1901 [5]
Scoring
TDs – 10 [16, tied with eight others]
Points – 60
Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff vs. Philadelphia)
Rushing attempts – 20
Rushing yards – 83
Average gain rushing – 4.2
Rushing TDs – 2
Kickoff Returns
Returns – 1
Yards – 20
Average per return – 20.0
TDs – 0
Awards & Honors:
NFL Player of the Year: Bert Bell Award
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
Pro Bowl
Vikings went 10-6 to finish first in the NFC North and gained the third playoff seed in the conference. Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to Philadelphia Eagles (26-14).
Aftermath:
Peterson followed up in 2009 with 1383 rushing yards and a league-leading 18 TDs while also catching a career-high 43 passes as the Vikings went 12-4 and advanced to the NFC Championship game. While a tendency to fumble was still a concern (he lost the ball 9 times in 2008 and 7 in ’09), Peterson was again a consensus first-team All-Pro and was named to the Pro Bowl. Turmoil touched the team in 2010, which dropped to 6-10, but Peterson was a bulwark who ran for 1298 yards, scored 13 TDs, fumbled only once, and was selected to a fourth straight Pro Bowl.
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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).
[Updated 2/12/14]
