The Vikings amazing rookie running back is leading the NFL in rushing. This week it was the Bears turn to feel his wrath.
After six weeks, 4 of the five top rushers in the NFL have between 522 and 527 yards. Then there is the rushing leader, Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson who has pounded out an astonishing 607 yards. The fact that the rookie phenom is so far out it front of the competition this season has even more impact when you consider that out of the top 5 running backs in the league in yardage gained, he is the only one who has racked up his remarkable numbers in only 5 games. That’s because Minnesota is the only team with a 520+ yards RB that has had a bye week. Only one other rookie, Eric Dickerson has ever started that quickly in NFL history. Dickerson had 645 yards after 5 games with the Rams in 1983.
Peterson exploded for 224 yards on 20 carries against Chicago this week – that’s better than 11 yards every time he touched the football. The performance earned him the award for NFC offensive player of the week, NFL offensive rookie for the month of September and a host of other accolades.
Adrian played college ball as a running back for three years at the University of Oklahoma. As a freshman Peterson broke quite a few NCAA rushing records. That was the year he rushed for 1,925 yards and carried the ball 339 times, more than any other back in the NCAA. He was a runner up for the Heisman Trophy, finishing second only to USC’s Matt Leinart – it was the highest finish ever for a freshman. He was the first Oklahoma freshman ever named as a First-Team AP All-American, and he led the Sooners to an undefeated season, playing [and coming in second once again to] Matt Lienert and USC in the BCS National Championship Game at the Orange Bowl in Miami.