Adrian Peterson attended Palestine High School in Palestine, Texas where he was a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball, and running track. As a junior, Adrian carried the ball 246 times for 2,051 yards (8.3 avg) and 22 touchdowns. As a senior he carried the ball 252 times for 2,960 yards (11.7 avg) and 32 touchdowns. He was the consensus national player of the year following his performance as a senior. He was selected to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl where he carried the ball 9 times for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns, earning MVP honors in the process. He was considered to be one of the best running back prospects in the history of the state of Texas. He was heavily recruited by Texas, USC, UCLA, Miami, and Arkansas, but he opted to attend the University of Oklahoma instead. Adrian quickly earned a starting job as a true freshman, rushing for a career high 1,925 yards and 15 touchdowns on 339 attempts. He caught 5 passes for an additional 12 yards. His 1,925 yards broke Ron Dayne’s NCAA record for rushing yards as a freshman. He also set NCAA freshman records for rushing attempts (339), 100 yard games (11), and consecutive 100 yard games (9). He was a consensus all-American selection and he finished second in Heisman voting (the best ever for a freshman). As a sophomore, Adrian carried the ball 220 times for 1,108 yards and 14 touchdowns despite missing significant action due to an ankle injury. He also caught 9 passes for 50 yards. He was named first team all-big twelve following his sophomore season. As a junior, Adrian rushed for 1,012 yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing the final 7 regular season games due to a broken collarbone. He set career highs in receiving with 10 receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown. He did return to play in the Fiesta Bowl, rushing for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 carries. He was named first team all-big twelve for the third consecutive season. Adrian has another year of eligibility left, however, he has opted to skip that season and enter the 2007 NFL draft.

Adrian Peterson has been the starting running back at Oklahoma since his true freshman season in 2004. He has an excellent combination of size, strength and speed for a running back. He is a patient runner with great vision and instincts. He is a powerful when running between the tackles. He hits the hole hard and will run through arm tackles. He is quick enough to get to the outside and turn the corner. Once he is in the open field, Adrian is a very elusive runner. He is difficult to bring down with one player and he has the speed to run away from defenders. Adrian was rarely used as a receiver at Oklahoma (24 career receptions). He has average hands and could improve his route running. He has good potential as a pass blocker but he will need to improve in that area at the next level. The biggest question with Adrian is going to be durability. He has an upright running style which exposes his body to big hits and makes him susceptible to injuries. He battled through a high ankle sprain as a sophomore and suffered a broken collarbone as a junior. Adrian Peterson has a rare combination of size, strength and speed, with the ability to be an effective runner both inside and outside of the tackle box. If he can stay healthy, Adrian will be a franchise back at the professional level. He could be the first running back selected and a top 10 pick in the 2007 NFL draft.