Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell dismissed any concerns yesterday about Adrian Peterson’s famous collarbone.  The Vikings’ rookie running back, who leads the NFL in rushing after five games, broke his collarbone at Oklahoma last season, missed several games and then re-injured it in the Fiesta Bowl.

Bevell was asked if Peterson or the Vikings have followed a special preventive plan for Peterson who also had shoulder and ankle injuries in college.  “I don’t think we’ve approached it in any different way,” Bevell said.  “I think his conditioning is outstanding.  He runs a 73-yard run and he goes sitting on the bench and he’s not even breathing heavy. …You ask him after the game, how do you feel?  He says, ‘I feel great.’ He’s still got that young body. He’s playing hard. I don’t think he has any worries about the collarbone.  I don’t think we do. … He’s running angry and running behind his pads.”

Speculation is that Peterson’s upright running style could lead to injuries but Bevell sees plays when the former Sooner is protecting himself and generating extra punch by lowering his shoulder pads. “I think it’s something that we’ve talked to him about and coach (Eric) Bieniemy does a great job with him, preparing him each week,” Bevell said.  “I don’t necessarily believe that it’s been a problem to this point.  He runs so hard but there are times that you can see him run behind his pads, drop his pads down and he just has to continue to do it.  I think it’s something to know when to do it. …  Still, it’s a decision he has to make but I’ve definitely seen him lower his pads and run behind them.”

Peterson was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game last Sunday against Chicago.  He broke a Viking rushing record with his 224 yards. That is the fifth best single game rushing performance by a rookie in NFL history.

Peterson said he’s become more patient running than earlier in the season and offered that as an example of how he’s improved.  He was also asked about six other NFL teams passing him by in the college draft before the Vikings selected him as the No. 7 pick.   “I really don’t think about that, but they probably do,” he said.

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Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners that the Minnesota North Stars book which debuted in early October is already in its second printing.  A second press run of 10,000 is needed to fill orders (6,000) for Minnesota North Stars: History And Memories With Lou Nanne.  Nanne said the coffee table size book has information that “people don’t know” and its pages are filled with “600 great pictures.”

Executive director Bill Lester said the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission’s “Listening Tour” in 10 cities around the state will focus on two meetings in each community, one with local leaders and the other with the general public.  The purpose of the tour, which begins next month and ends in January, is to gather and share information regarding a proposed new football stadium for the Vikings on the Metrodome site.  Key message points from the commission’s perspective, Lester said, are that the 35W bridge disaster is a recognized priority to stadium building, but that the team’s lease at the dome expires in 2011 and a long term solution is needed to ensure the franchise’s future.  In addition, he said, a new football stadium with a retractable roof allows the region to benefit from the variety of events and economic impact that has made the Metrodome so successful.

Royce White, the highly recruited DeLaSalle junior basketball player, likes coach Tubby Smith and is interested in the Gophers, according to a source familiar with Islanders’ athletics.  White, 6-7, might play small forward in college basketball. He’s ranked as the 32^nd best prep player in the 2009 national class by rivals.com.

Gopher sophomore Eric Decker is the leading receiver in the Big Ten Conference through seven games with 49 receptions and 604 yards.  “He’s an extremely prideful young man,” Gopher coach Tim Brewster said recently. “He’s very precise in how he runs routes. He’s physical as a blocker. He just does all the little things well and he’s the leading receiver in the Big Ten.  Erik Decker is a heck of a football player and he fits in this system very well because we can motion him, we move him, he can line up inside, outside. …He’s a very valuable young guy.”

Tom Swain, whose career accomplishments include a period as Gopher ticket manager, said that except for one year (1945) his family has had Minnesota football season tickets each season since 1923.

The Gopher hockey team, ranked No. 3 in the country in two different polls, plays Colorado College tonight and tomorrow night in road games.  These are the opening WCHA games for both teams and the only series between the schools this season.  Gophers’ junior goaltender Jeff Frazee established a new career high with 44 saves in Minnesota’s 4-3 win over Michigan on Saturday. He made 35 saves in the final two periods and surpassed his previous career best of 41 saves set last season against Denver. Frazee ranked second in the country in winning percentage last year with a 14-3-1 record and has a 22-6-3 record for his career.

Concordia-St. Paul’s senior quarterback Kole Goodchild was named the D2Football.com National Co-Offensive Player of the Week following his record setting performance in a 46-41 victory over MSU Moorhead last Saturday. He was also one of three national offensive players of the week honored by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette. Goodchild completed 31-46 for 433 yards and five touchdowns (receptions of 11, 12, 18, 50 and 39 yards). He set individual school records in completions, yards and touchdowns while helping the team set new records for first downs (32) and team passing yards (471). Wide receiver Calvin Simon set a school record of four touchdown receptions and career-highs in catches (nine) and yards (198).  Goodchild and Simon received NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors for their performances.

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Although they won’t admit it, there are probably a lot of NFL decision makers having second thoughts this week about passing on Adrian Peterson in the college draft earlier this year.  Yeah, the Chicago Bears are upset about their poor performance trying to corral and tackle the 22-year-old Viking running back from Palestine, Texas.  But draft decision makers with Oakland, Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Arizona and Washington have reason to think about throwing a tantrum, too, even if they do it in the privacy of a closet at midnight.

Those teams drafted one through six last April, choosing quarterback JaMarcus Russell, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, offensive tackle Joe Thomas, defensive end Gaines Adams, offensive tackle Levi Brown and safety LaRon Landry.  Russell has yet to play for the Raiders.  Johnson has 11 receptions, 192 yards, a 17.5 per catch average and two touchdowns.  Thomas has started all six games for the Browns at left tackle. Adams has started the same number of games and has 15 tackles and one sack.  Brown has started three of six games at right tackle.   Landry has started three of five games and has 26 tackles and a half sack.

Peterson, the seventh pick in the draft, leads the NFL in rushing with 607 yards after playing in five games.  With five touchdowns he leads all NFL rookies in that category.    Against Chicago last Sunday he rushed for a single game team record 224 yards (also the most ever given up by the Bears).  He has set or tied numerous franchise records including the first Viking to have two runs of over 50 yards in a single game (against the Bears).

After five games including Sunday’s coming-of-age performance against the Bears, people are talking about running back king LaDainian Tomlinson and Peterson in the same sentence.  Tomlinson, with six consecutive 1,000 yards or more seasons, had four touchdowns and 198 yards rushing on Sunday against Oakland. That sentence can be something like:  “Tomlinson and Peterson are the two best running backs in the NFL.”

Assume that all seven of the first picks in last April’s draft become Pro Bowl players. Other than perhaps Russell, none can have the impact of Peterson because of the positions they play.  Peterson is such a playmaker that if he remains healthy the others can’t compare unless Russell ultimately shows quarterback skills the equal of Peterson’s as a runner.  That’s a lot to ask because Peterson’s ability to cut, change speeds, and overpower and outrun everybody on the field makes him a candidate for wearing a big “S” on his chest.

Before he becomes the new age’s superman, though, he will have to play a few more games at minimum.  And at some point he will need to be recognized as the Vikings’ No. 1 running back.  As of Monday’s news conference with head coach Brad Childress, Peterson was still No. 2 behind veteran Chester Taylor.  Childress said the No. 2 status doesn’t bother him or Peterson.

While Childress wants to continue to mix playing time between the two, he recognizes how special a first year runner Peterson is. “He’s the best (rookie back) that I’ve seen or coached,” Childress said.  The coach also said he likes alternating his two running backs, providing “fresh” legs and looks, maximizing opportunities for explosive plays.

Peterson did that against the Bears.  He had runs of 67, 73 and 35 yards for touchdowns, plus a 53-yard kickoff return.

Peterson will see better defenses ahead than the Bears offered.  In their last three    games the Bears have given up 88  points.  Against Peterson the Bear secondary was particularly bad, missing tackles and taking poor angles. The Bears gave up 311 total yards rushing to the Vikings, including 224 to Peterson and 83 to Taylor.

Here’s what Bears’ defensive tackle Tommie Harris told Chicago Sun-Times columnist   Jay Mariotti on suntimes.com: “There’s no excuse to give up that many yards. I don’t even think we were in position to make tackles,” Tommie Harris said. “We played poorly on defense. People talk about how good our defense is, but we’ve been giving up way too many rushing yards. …”

Mariotti offered this praise to Peterson: “We’ve seen magnificent running backs in this town, the best to play the game. Cedric Benson certifiably is not worthy of the tradition, which makes life difficult when you’ve wasted a high draft pick and about $20 million on a bust while the Minnesota Vikings are showcasing the next power-and-speed, bash-and-dash, Nintendo-game force.”

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