Ciatrick Fason offered advice to Adrian Peterson, the Vikings’ No. 1 draft choice last weekend. Fason, a reserve running back drafted in the fourth round by the Vikings two years ago, was asked about the transition Peterson will make going from Oklahoma where he set school and NCAA rushing records to playing in the NFL.
Fason told Sports Headliners “learning how to take care of your body” tops the must-do list. How is that done? “You just got to do everything possible. . . Tony Richardson (veteran Vikings running back) and those guys, they teach you those things. …They taught me how to go to the chiropractor, how to get massages, how to take care of your feet. You gotta do everything just to make sure your body is always taken care of.”
The advice couldn’t be more on target for running backs, with all the physical abuse they receive, and particularly Peterson whose story line at Oklahoma was almost as much about injuries as it was electrifying performances on the field where he ran past and over tacklers with a style and frequency seldom seen in college football. During his first season, the one year he was free from injury, he broke the NCAA freshman running record and the school single season rushing mark. He gained 1,925 yards.
Fason disagrees with those who question whether Peterson, who seldom was thrown passes at Oklahoma, can catch the ball, adding that Peterson has “great hands.” Durability and pass receiving were pre-draft concerns about Peterson.
“I watched him his whole career,” Fason said. “He’s a great back. I feel like we’re a lot alike. … He’s just a little faster than me, but I feel like we’re almost the same type of back.”
Fason, 6-foot, 207-pounds, has run the 40 yard dash in 4.57 seconds. Peterson, 6-foot-2, 217-pounds, has run a 4.37.
Asked to further describe Peterson’s running style, Fason said, “He runs with a mad demeanor about himself.” That description fit with profiles of Peterson running “angry.”
The Vikings listed seven running backs on their pre-draft roster. There had to be some private “ughs” in reaction to the Vikings selecting Peterson at No. 7. A good teammate wants to see the team improve itself but he also wants playing time.
Fason, for example, has played a reserve role for two seasons. His NFL career stats include 18 games, 50 carries, 161 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Does he anticipate his third season means an expanded role with the Vikings? “I really can’t tell you that now,” he said. “I thought it was going to be but the way it’s looking, I am going to have to…wait for my opportunity.”
The Vikings might make a $15 million guaranteed investment in Peterson. That money translates into opportunity. “Third or fourth round guys, we just got to sit back and wait for our opportunities,” Fason said. “It really makes a big difference on where you slide (in the draft) and you just got to wait for your opportunity.”