Vikings running back Adrian Peterson runs upfield against Texans defensive back Daniel Manning at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Tex., Dec. 23, 2012. (SCOTT HALLERAN/Getty Images/AFP)
Monday marks the one-year anniversary that Adrian Peterson lay on the muddy FedEx Field grass, writhing in pain after his knee was ripped into mush in a game against the Washington Redskins.
No one thought he’d be able to be back at full speed by the time the 2012 regular season kicked off, let alone resume his role as the Minnesota Vikings starter in the opening game.
No one thought he’d go on to threaten the 2,000-yard mark, let alone Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 rushing yards, set in 1984.
No one but Adrian Peterson, that is.
On the long, gruelling road back from his ACL and MCL injuries, Adrian Peterson believed. He believed in himself. He believed in his doctors. And maybe, just maybe, he believed in miracles.
Now, with just one week to go in the regular season, Adrian Peterson might need another miracle if he wants to eclipse Dickerson’s mark.
