Peterson doesn't run like a rookie

By: MIKE SULLIVAN - Staff WriterVikings star back sets sights on the Chargers | Thursday, November 1, 2007 12:40 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO -- Based on the fast start to his professional career, there could soon be a time when Adrian Peterson's name is mentioned along with LaDainian Tomlinson when debates over the top NFL running backs heat up. Yet there's one thing not in dispute in Peterson's eyes.

Ask him who is the best running back from the state of Texas and the Minnesota Vikings' rookie runner doesn't mention himself or Tomlinson, the reigning NFL MVP.

"I'd probably say Earl Campbell," Peterson said Wednesday of the Pro Football Hall of Famer who was the NFL MVP as a rookie in 1978.

Peterson certainly has gotten his NFL career off to a Campbell-like start as he finds himself leading the league in rushing after seven career games. Peterson has 740 yards and has already set a new franchise mark for rushing yards in a game with 224.

It is exactly the type of impact Peterson was aiming to make after being the seventh overall pick in April's draft.

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised about this," Peterson said. "I've just been staying healthy and prepared to go out there and take advantage of opportunities whenever they present themselves."

Peterson has already topped 100 yards rushing four times this season and has produced a litany of admirers. Among them is Tomlinson, who will get a close-up view of Peterson this Sunday when the Chargers visit Minnesota.

"He's an explosive player," Tomlinson said. "He's got size on him and he runs with some physicalness. He's explosive. That's what sticks out in my mind. He hits the hole fast and he can take it all the way."

The 22-year-old Peterson has been on the fast track to success since being named the consensus national prep player of the year while playing at Palestine High in Texas.

Oklahoma won the battle for Peterson's services and he was an immediate star, gaining 1,925 yards as a freshman and being runner-up to USC quarterback Matt Leinart in the 2004 Heisman Trophy race. Peterson left school after his junior season and finished his career with 4,045 rushing yards, third in Sooners history behind Billy Sims (4,118) and Joe Washington (4,071).

"He was a top recruit but you still go in there and say, 'Yeah, well it's going to take a little time,'" said San Diego State coach Chuck Long, who was Oklahoma's offensive coordinator during Peterson's first two college seasons. "We knew in a day we were going to play him. We said, 'Holy cow, he's really good.' From then on, we just worked him into the lineup. Usually you don't do that with a freshman."

Peterson is making the same type of impact in his first NFL season. The fast start has erased some of the disappointment he felt leading up to the draft when people questioned his durability due to a collarbone injury that caused him to miss half of last season.

"A lot of teams had their questions and made some of their decisions based on that," Peterson said of the injury. "That was the only thing that really bothered me during that time but it's nothing that I'm carrying with me on my shoulder."

Peterson labeled the injury as "maybe a blessing in disguise" in terms of helping him realize he needed to leave school early to ensure he didn't miss out on the financial security that comes with being a high draft pick.

He eventually signed a five-year $40 million contract that includes $17 million in guaranteed money. That put him in the same financial league as Tomlinson, a player he admired while growing up in Texas and can't wait to watch perform this Sunday.

"I'm going to definitely be on the sidelines watching him while they're on offense," Peterson said. "I've been watching him for a long time since he was in college. To be on the same field and seeing how he works, that's something I'm excited about."

The two have had just two brief conversations, both coming before Peterson was in the NFL.

"Just good luck and continue to work hard, that was about it," Tomlinson said of one time the two crossed paths early in 2007.

However, Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman had much more to say to Peterson when the two were both in Los Angeles filming commercials a few months ago.

"I told him I would slap him in the mouth a couple times," Merriman said. "But I do respect his game and I really enjoy watching him play. I wish him luck the rest of the season. Not just against us, you know."

-- Contact staff writer Mike Sullivan at (760) 739-6645 or msullivan@nctimes.com. Staff writer Michael Klitzing contributed to this report.