Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson spoke with Tom Pelissero of USA Today in a wide-ranging interview regarding his Sept. 12 indictment for reckless or negligent injury to a child and no contest plea in early November. In the exclusive, the All-Pro had the chance to shed light on the murky circumstances surrounding his suspension from the NFL and give his perspective in his own words.
Adrian Peterson insists he’s changed, uncertain of Vikings future
In a 90-minute conversation with USA Today, the All-Pro explained numerous details regarding his legal issues, fatherhood and his NFL future.
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Even though NFL commissioner Roger Goodell explicitly said Peterson didn’t show enough remorse in his path toward reinstatement this season, the Vikings star strongly disagreed. He insists the circumstances have caused him to reevaluate how he interacts with each of his six children.
In addition to those pieces of this ever-evolving situation, here’s what else we can gather from Peterson’s comments.
1) He says he’s been changed by the ordeal
Speaking to his son for the first time in five months, Peterson and the 4-year-old expressed unconditional love for one another in an emotional conversation. For Peterson, it was an eye-opening moment, one that caused him to change his approach on how he disciplines his children moving forward.
”I won’t ever use a switch again, Peterson said. “There’s different situations where a child needs to be disciplined as far as timeout, taking their toys away, making them take a nap. There’s so many different ways to discipline your kids.”
The switch was a staple in Peterson’s own childhood, with his father using the thin piece of a tree to inflict punishment on him. Considering the therapy Peterson has recently undergone to learn new ways to be an effective parent, he hopes to make it a distant memory.
2) His days in Minnesota could be numbered
The Vikings would welcome Peterson back should he be reinstated next season, but the local climate stirred by the court of public opinion could keep him away from the place where he began his NFL career as a first-round selection in 2007.
Peterson also suggested the Vikings may have some internal misgivings about bringing him back, despite the overall support the organization has publicly given him. His relationship with first-year head coach Mike Zimmer, though, is seemingly rock solid. The two were in communication during Peterson’s absence, and Zimmer even shared an inspirational text from his star running back with the team before one of its four wins on Sept. 28.
Still, Peterson acknowledged that his time in Minnesota could be coming to a close. From a career standpoint, a key factor in determining the course of action moving forward would be the level of comfort for his family and whether they feel at home in Minnesota or elsewhere.
But given the gravity of the circumstances and the ambiguity surrounding the team’s feelings, a fresh start could be in order.
3) He feels wronged to a degree
Peterson knows his image has taken a beating. He accepts his role in all of the legal troubles, but has expressed his displeasure for what he considers to be illegal and unprofessional behavior on the part of law enforcement.
Specifically, he’s upset about the photos being leaked:
“That’s illegal. For someone who wears the badge to disregard their badge and commit a crime says a lot. (But) no one cares how the pictures were released. All they care about is, ‘Hey, these are the pictures. They say that he put leaves in his mouth. They say that he beat him. They say that I hit his hands (and those were) defensive wounds.’ ”
The public outcry against Peterson snowballed once the photos came out. Given the timing, fans on social media were quick to compare his situation to that of Ray Rice. Peterson insists he not be compared to a man who punched his then-fiancee in the face.
“That’s not what I tried to do, but that’s what ended up happening. Don’t put me in the same (category as Rice),” he said.
The future remains uncertain for Peterson, especially given the fluidity of the NFL’s response to disciplinary issues. But it’s clear that with the legal case behind him, the process of rebuilding his life and career is now the focus.
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