Adrian Peterson is still the same AP | Bleacher's report

Adrian Peterson comes out of the shower and goes to his locker. The residual excitement of the game has not disappeared. After his performance in Washington's victory at Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers, his attitude is understandable, if admirable, given the pain felt by his body. When adrenaline decreases, his body will continue to suffer. This is what can do three injuries to the shoulder, ankle and knee.

He dresses without a hitch. The shoulder he dislocated and put back in place during the previous match does not bother him much. Throughout the week, his wife Ashley massaged his shoulder in the middle of the night with his knuckles and elbows to keep his muscles loose. It still hurts, although it was difficult to watch it earlier on the pitch.

"The mind on the matter," says Peterson.

His return was one of the biggest surprises of the season. He showed a glimpse of what he once was, despite having to share the backfield. Peterson is seventh in the NFL with 723 rushing yards, a Washington offense ranked 25th overall by yards (331.5) and 27th in points per game (19.7).

Certainly, Peterson does not have some of the physical attributes that have done it all day, but he still has tenacity, resilience. Determination. In a way, the new AP looks like the former AP that rushed for a 1,000-yard season after a 1,000-yard season and a MVP effort in 2012, in which He racked up 8 equal yards to equal Eric Dickerson 's season record a year later. reconstructive surgery of the knee.

It looks like the old AP, too. He's always obsessed with greatness: "What other reason are you using it?" That's the kind of approach I've always had, "says Peterson. "If you do not try to be the best in what you do in your profession – sewing, painting, a doctor – so why do you do it? You want to be mean? Just follow the gestures and be OKAY?" This is what kind of speech that has helped to position itself as a future Hall of Famer. That's also why, at age 33, Peterson felt that he had more to do. "I have accomplished some great things and I plan to continue doing them," he says.

But returns, by definition, consist of accepting history. And Peterson's story is as complicated as in football. His larger-than-life image on the ground remains tainted by his actions, following a high-profile court case involving his son in 2014.

Peterson knows that there are lessons to be learned from his flaws. But his return forces us to watch each of his movements again, asking ourselves how much the man grew up four years later.

"I've also experienced hardships in life that your typical athlete probably does not experience – especially if you have the platform that I have," he says. "It brings a bit of normality to the people who fantasize about the Peyton Mannings and the different players that they worship almost to a certain point, so that they know that, hey, we're also human."

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His legend was disproportionate from the beginning, so much so that Peterson's life has become synonymous with his mythical play on the field. He has often been described as a man among boys. His numbers prove it: at the Palestinian high school, he ran 2,960 yards in his last senior year and signed up for Oklahoma as the best hope of the 2004 promotion. He broke records with the Sooners, was selected by Minnesota with the seventh overall pick in 2007 and accumulated more than 1,200 yards in each of his first four seasons (1760 yards in his second season). His production was enough to earn him four trips to the Pro Bowl. He quickly became one of the NFL's most prominent players and it seemed like everyone wanted a piece of PA.

Trent Williams, a close friend who played with Peterson in Oklahoma and plays alongside him in Washington, was present to witness the crowd chanting Peterson's name in public, asking for a photo or autograph. "He has the face that everyone recognizes," says Williams. "You do not have to know his name." That fans place Peterson on a pedestal does not seem to affect his interactions with them in person. Peterson reflected on the role of professional athlete from university and strived to converse with strangers in all situations.

This brings some normality to people who fantasize about the Peyton Mannings and the different players they love almost to some degree. It lets them know that, hey, we are human too.
-Adrian Peterson on the hardships he has faced in life

"It's not about his strength, his strength or his speed, nor his talent when he has the ball in his hands." It's not about the time it takes He ran for over 2,000 yards of a ripped knee, "Williams said of Peterson. "It's the ability to wake up every day and treat strangers as friends." It's about walking around the premises with a smile. "

Peterson was private by nature. The world, however, was fascinated by his personal tragedies. All he had endured was part of his folklore. Peterson's older brother, Brian, was killed by a drunk driver right in front of him at the age of seven. His father, Nelson, pleaded guilty to money laundering while Peterson was 13 years old and eight years old. (The story of Nelson and his subsequent prison release made front-page national news in 2006. On the first occasion for his father to see him play in Oklahoma, Peterson broke his collarbone.) Peterson's half-brother, Chris, was shot dead the day before his training. "He probably had more than his opponent in his adversity, just because of his identity," Williams said. "Keeping your sanity in the middle of all this, for me, is the most amazing thing."

Rumor blogs have regularly invaded his love life, speculating on the many baby mothers and children of Peterson. Peterson did his best to ignore the noise. The other indiscretions did not stick either. In 2011, a night in a hotel room with two family members and four women culminated in a police investigation during which Peterson was charged with rape. Peterson went so far as to provide evidence to the police headquarters, take a polygraph test and a drug test to prove his innocence. Hennepin County prosecutors, who reviewed the 38-page police report, were eventually never charged. the Star Tribune would not publish its investigation on the issue until 2014.

Peterson's life as a professional was only evoked in 2013, the year he lost his two-year-old son to head injuries resulting from an assault by the boyfriend of his mother. Peterson, who had learned that he was the father of the child before, chose not to be absent from the NFL. The decision made the headlines. Peterson reasoned at the time: "God wants good to come." But it was, he says, one of the most devastating moments of his life. It had not been in the child's life because the woman had told him that the child was not his. The woman and her boyfriend of the time moved to South Dakota. Peterson never thought of taking a paternity test.

"I do not think there would be a guy who would try to track down someone and say to himself," Hey, is this child mine? " "Said Peterson. "But when I think about it, I'm like a man, and what if I had it?" "I should have, just to make sure it was the time that I was." I could have gone with my child, I could have brought him into my house. "

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When he spanked his then four year old son with a "switch", flexible branch used for corporal punishment, he did not know that he would become the face of a national conversation about how to discipline a child. He was just doing what he thought was right. He grew up in Texas and was disciplined in the same way. The switch was long with ridges, and Peterson – who weighed 6 "and 220 pounds at the time – was a man of incredible strength. (He already showed his deadly handshake to Jimmy Fallon in 2013.) The seizures left many cuts and bruises on the child's legs, back, buttocks, ankles and scrotum. (The photos were then released and became viral.) But according to Peterson, the child did not move or cried.

"My children are different," says Peterson. "They have my blood in them, they have my genes in them." As incredible as a child who is not afraid of being beaten by a professional football player, Peterson says his children have extraordinary strength: "It's crazy when you think about it. I do not know my children, I know what they are capable of, and I know the kind of things they do. "

Peterson did not realize how much he had marked the back of the child. "When I went back and I saw it, no one knows how horrible I felt because I left marks on my son," Peterson said. He brought back the child Monday to Minnesota, where his mother resides, for a doctor's appointment. She warned him that the doctor might ask about the abuse. "These people will try to bring charges against you," recalls Peterson.

Nevertheless, he believed in the necessity of what he had done and did not think much about what others might think. "It was pride," he says. "My pride told me that I had just disciplined my child for what he had done wrong." His reasoning was not out of step with many Southerners. An ABC News poll of 1,015 adults in November found that 62% of Southern parents were spanking their children, compared to 41% for the rest of the country. In Texas, corporal punishment is allowed in public schools.

But for a doctor – and a mandated reporter – from Minnesota, Peterson's son's wounds were too ugly to be neglected. Local authorities were informed, but the situation fell under the jurisdiction of Montgomery County, Texas. Peterson volunteered to testify before a grand jury – he thought he had done nothing wrong – and downplayed the situation with the Vikings' leaders. In September 2014, Peterson was charged with reckless or careless injury to a child. The Vikings have disabled it soon after.

But the following week, when he is reinstated, controversy ensues: Peterson's sponsors break his ties with him, Radisson suspends his sponsorship with the Vikings. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, Democrat, calls for Peterson's suspension until the case is resolved, outlining his actions. as "a public embarrassment for the organization of the Vikings and the state of Minnesota". An editorialist wrote in the Green Bay Press Gazette that Peterson's disciplinary methods were "probably" inherited as a descendant of slaves (a "poorly reasoned and insensitive" litter, "the paper later admitted).

The people closest to Peterson – the ones he grew up with and still surrounds – understood where he was from.

"It's what keeps you planted," says Williams, born and raised in Longview, Texas. "I do not understand how a person can be subject to such scrutiny for wanting his child to behave in a certain way." He ignored him and said let his child behave in any way, and let the people of the world discipline him and give him consequences for his mistakes, there is a good chance that you will bury your son prematurely. "

Everyone who knew Peterson was not of the same opinion. Paul Allen, the Viking radio talker and sports radio personality in the Twin Cities, was a close friend of Peterson at the time. The two men often spent the Saturday night before road games and Peterson has always supported his charities. "It hit me very hard, man," he said. "The fact that the child had to endure what he had to endure, and Adrian 's initial response, was that it was so that he had been brought up and that things were happening in the South. "

I do not understand how a person can be subject to such scrutiny for wanting his child to behave in a certain way. If he ignored it and let his child behave in any way, and you let people in the world discipline him and inflict consequences for his mistakes, you would be in danger. to bury your son prematurely.
– Washington's attack on Trent Williams, a long-time friend

Allen, who is a father and grew up spanking with a belt, remembers how difficult it was to justify what was best for the team on the ground and Peterson's "deplorable" actions. "Thousands to tens of thousands of Vikings fans were looking for Adrian forever," Allen said.

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something must be done in response to the blowback. Thus, the NFL, the Vikings and Peterson agreed to include him on the commissioner's exempt list, where he was suspended with pay until the case was resolved. The decision was made following the NFL's other notable national scandal: its failed attempt to significantly manage Ray Rice's domestic violence. Peterson's case, of a violent nature with criminal consequences, was examined under a similar microscope.

Once removed from the field, Peterson's priority was to return to the field. To speed things up, Peterson did not argue against the challenge of reducing the crime charge to crime. He thought the decision would allow him to play again. (Peterson said that he had initially received such an offer at the grand jury hearing.) He was only required to pay a $ 4,000 fine and perform 80 hours of community service. However, the commissioner kept Peterson on the list and suspended him in November from six games without pay, in accordance with the recently adopted "zero tolerance" policy.

"You have not shown any significant remorse for your conduct," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a letter to Peterson after informing him of his suspension. Peterson says that he was "caught off guard" by the decision.

"If I had known that I would be out all year, I would have just sat back and said:" You know what, I'm going to court [to prove innocence]Peterson said, "I will follow the whole process and we will do it this way."

Two days after the suspension, he said United States today: "I will never use a switch again."

He has only played one game this season.

Peterson joined the Vikings on June 2, 2015 for organized team activities (the NFL officially reinstated April 17), but it soon became clear that his stay in Minnesota was soon to end. He recorded a total of 1,485 rushing yards in 2015, the third highest total of his career. In 2016, he had a torn knee lateral meniscus and was placed on the reserve after only three games. The Vikings refused to exercise Peterson's $ 18 million option after the 2016 season; negotiations to renew its agreement have failed. Peterson became a free agent for the first time in his professional career.

"For me, I felt it was time to change the scenery," Peterson said. "Here, I give everything I have, juggling with wounds and giving my heart and soul to this organization.I did not feel like they did it for me during one." some of the most difficult moments of my life, but I understand that they have done it to the best of their abilities from a commercial point of view. "

The Vikings refused to comment.

Allen believes that the Vikings have done everything in their power to support Peterson after a very difficult time, but he hopes for a reconciliation on both sides that, at some point, would result in the withdrawal of Peterson's No. 28 jersey and a entry into the Vikings ring. of honor.

"He is the greatest running back in the history of a legendary franchise," Allen said. "Even if it has not ended as everyone wished, I still think the honor must be recognized."

The next season was a blur with injuries. After being traded saints, Peterson played only six games with the Cardinals before suffering a tear in the annular disc neck. He tried to fight for a few shots before going out. He later learned that another neck shot could have paralyzed him.

"It could have been worse," said Peterson. "Thank God, because he was covering me while I was going back for those two pieces, thank you my God for the physics of my body, I must be able to withstand this type of blow and not crush anything There are many things that I thanked because, apart from being like, "Oh, I will not be able to play." It was bigger than that. "

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He chose to take a step back in the limelight in August, when it came up to fill the huge hole left behind by rookie Derrius Guice, victim of a torn ACL during the pre-season . During his training, the team officials were dazzled by his endurance, how easy his movements were. "He did not even breathe heavily," said Jay Gruden, Washington coach. m said at a press conference. "He is in a fantastic form."

Peterson worked in a gym where he co-owns with Williams, O Athletik, in Houston. His long-time coach and friend, James Cooper, has designed a "training camp" training program to keep him active. It showed. Washington has rewarded it with a one – year contract for the minimum veteran. In turn, Peterson led the team to the top of the NFC East as the 12th week approached. With six games left, he has the opportunity to become the fifth player in NFL history to win 1,000 rushing yards at age 33 or older (Frank Gore has achieved the final season feat). And he's not going anywhere soon. The team will rely even more on him after losing Alex Smith for Sunday's season.

The return gave Peterson an opportunity to reflect. After looking for answers about how he found himself in a national scandal, he felt that God was exposing his tendency to be proud. He wanted Peterson to find an order in his personal life, which meant taking into account his sneaky lifestyle.

"Shoot, I have six kids," says Peterson. "So it's not a secret that women … if anything to me, it's not a drug or anything like that." It was women. "

He hopes his situation has shed light on the subject of child abuse. But he remains confident that he is not a child abuser. "I understood that it was a mistake," says Peterson. "It's something I've regretted – it was not my intention to do it – but it happened."

Four years after the trial, he still uses physical penalties to discipline his children – "I had to discipline my son and spank him the other day with a belt," says Peterson – although he also uses other techniques. He will take away their electronic devices, place them at different times in the house, make them do wall squats. "I discipline my children in different ways," he says. "I did not let that change me."

I discipline my children in different ways. I did not let him change.
– Peterson

Spankings are sometimes necessary, however, he insists, especially after recurrences. (The belt incident occurred after he had given his son four opportunities to correct his fault.) Peterson says that he finds it heartening to know that these lessons will help his children take more better decisions in the future. Corporal punishment has helped him become the man he is today, a man who loves his children. "My children love me, when they want something, they come to ask dad," he says. "They like to be around me."

As for his promise not to use switches? Peterson says that he usually avoids using them.

"Nine times out of 10," he says, "this is not the case."

Master Tesfatsion is senior writer for B / R Mag. Previously, he was a writer who beat football in Washington at the Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter: @MasterTes