Adrian Peterson told Jim Brown, the legendary former Cleveland Browns running back, that he’s not sure if his Vikings coaches fully understand his ability. Peterson, who led the NFL in rushing last season and has gained 3,101 yards during his first two pro seasons, was interviewed by Brown in the August 3 issue of the Sporting News Magazine.
Brown, who even during his playing days in the 1960s was outspoken, entertained Peterson at his California home for an extensive and direct interview. Among Brown’s questions and Peterson’s answers were:
“Do your coaches understand and contribute to your ability the way you would like them to? And do they give you the plays that you would like?”
“I would say they understand my ability, but I don’t know to what extent. Our running backs coach, Eric Bieniemy, understands the potential that I have but that I still have room to grow and get better. We talk about some of the plays, not really in the running game but more spreading me out and finding other ways to put the ball in my hands. I pressure him to get me out on reverses and stuff like that. But I feel like they do a pretty good job.”
“You know why I’m asking you these questions, don’t you? People think that coaches are always right, but it’s difficult to teach a runner with your special ability how to run. Sometimes it’s kind of hard for a coach to make those adjustments. Is that why you have that smile?”
“Yes, sir. You hear all that stuff about getting out of bounds, or if two guys are roughing you up and your forward progress is stopped, you might as well go ahead and fall down. That’s not really my mindset.”
Late last month, when training camp opened, Peterson talked about goals for this season. He said the “ultimate goal” is to have the Vikings repeat as NFC North champions. “My goal is doing whatever I can to contribute, whether that is on special teams or punt return; anything to make this team the best team when we step on the field.”
Peterson wants to improve his “route running” to be a bigger contributor to the team’s passing game. How about rushing for 2,000 yards or more? “It is something I think about and dream about,” he said. “I don’t focus on it because you’ll never accomplish it that way. That’s my bar, it will always be 2,000 or more. I hope to accomplish that some day.”
League MVP? “Yes, that definitely fits in the category of my personal goals,” he said.