Adrian Peterson had an awful return to the NFL last weekend. The San Francisco 49ers versus the Minnesota Vikings contest was an absolute s#$tshow. AP finished with just 31 yards on 10 carries, for an awful 3.1 yards per carry. It showed just how rusty he was after missing 2014 due to the child abuse suspension.
However, week 2 was a completely different story, as carried 29 times for 134 yards as the Vikings beat the Detroit Lions.
Turns out Adrian Peterson came exceedingly close to not returning to the NFL. He seriously considered giving up NFL football to instead become an Olympic sprinter.
FS1’s Peter Schrager reports Adrian Peterson considered retiring during his suspension in 2014 and began training for the Olympics:
“He called Monday night’s opener the worst game of his NFL career and he hasn’t scored a home touchdown in 682 days, going back to 2013. I had a very interesting conversation with him and he said that this almost never happened. Last year, when his career was in limbo, Adrian Peterson seriously considered retiring. He said he focused on another dream of his: the Olympics. He was training for the 200 and the 400 with a track coach out of Houston named James Cooper. He said this was a very serious thought of his. Things worked themselves out, he’s back here and Rio will have to wait because the Lions are who he is up against this weekend.”
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is part of the FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous talk radio stations all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 the Zone.
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