ALL NCAA 2006 info and covers - Adrian Peterson had 321 yards and 5 touchdowns on 27 carries

CFN about Adrian Peterson: Run, Forrest, Run – Is there any way that Adrian Peterson can live up to what he did last year?  He set the bar so high for himself that a 2,000 yard season is about the only way that he might be able to appease the ‘critics’.  However, don’t be surprised if Peterson doesn’t have as big a year as he did last.  Why?  Teams will put 8 and sometimes 9 in the box to make Thompson/Bomar beat them throwing the ball.  The offensive line lost the Outland Trophy winner and other multi-year starters.  And, that little shoulder surgery he had this spring?  Surgery is still surgery, folks.  With all of that working against him, Peterson is going to have to be very patient and adapt early in the season.  He was terribly frustrated in the Orange Bowl when he couldn’t ‘spin’ the way he wanted, the way that he had all year long.  But, when he does, oh my!  It just may not happen as often in 2005. Full Article, Further Analysis of OU

CFN predicts OU loses to Texas & Texas Tech, says about Adrian Peterson: Best Offensive Player: Sophomore RB Adrian Peterson. He would've been the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He'll have to operate behind a line that isn't nearly as good as last year's, and he won't have as high octane a passing game to take the focus off so expect a drop-off from last year's 1,925-yard campaign. Even so, he'll still be one of the top picks when it's his time to come out.

Trev Alberts leaves Adrian Peterson off his Top 5 Heisman list. So he put Radio who had 1 great game last season on the list.

Adrian Peterson radio interview notes, Adrian Peterson might run TRACK!

Heisman Top 10 list, Adrian Peterson listed as #4

2005 OU football intro video story pics, Adrian Peterson with Billy Sims & Joe Washtington

Adrian Peterson article in the new Lindys Preview, scan of first page with pic

Adrian Peterson added the Maxwell Award Watch List (Complete List Link)
Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson is one of 50 players announced today on the Maxwell Award Watch List. The honor, which goes annually to the top player in college football, was presented last season to Peterson’s teammate at OU, Jason White.

Peterson, a finalist for the Maxwell Award in 2004, was the runner-up in voting for the 2004 Heisman Trophy and was the first freshman ever named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, which is presented to the nation’s top running back. The Palestine, Texas, native rushed for a school record 1,925 yards last season and in doing so set an NCAA record for rushing yards by a freshman.

Maxwell Football Club President, Ron Jaworski, announced the list for the 69th Maxwell Award for the Collegiate Player of the Year. Players selected have distinguished themselves as All Conference or All American selections from their respective universities in past years. Underclassmen are selected based on recommendations from the Maxwell Football Club Advisory Committee.

The Maxwell list has been created as a reference to provide additional assistance to eligible voters and to the media when evaluating potential candidate. Ten semi-finalists for the award will be announced in October 2005 and the field will be trimmed to three finalists in November 2005.
 
The winner will be announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show that will be broadcast on ESPN in December 2005. The formal presentation will take place at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Banquet in February 2006.

CNNSI says Adrian Peterson best bet for a running back to the Heisman

Sporting News CFB Preview, names Adrian Peterson the Top Running Back and J.D. Runnels the Top Fullback

Latest on Adrian Peterson: "Sophomore running back Adrian Peterson, who had shoulder surgery in the spring, is out of his sling and should begin workouts at the end of the month or early July. “He’s as good as it gets,’’ Sumlin said. “We don’t want to take too many chances. We want to make sure he’s 100 percent.’’

Davin Joseph online journal about the 2004 season, some quotes about Adrian Peterson

The Tulsa game will start at 11:30 am (Central) and will be on FSN!!! How many yards will Adrian Peterson get vs Tulsa? As part of its agreement with the Big 12 Conference, Fox Sports Net has selected the Sept. 10 Oklahoma-Tulsa football game for airing and set the starting time for 11:30 a.m.

First Look at NCAA 2005, IGN plays USC vs Miami

Adrian Peterson, the Heisman campaign, less is more

June 4, Added New Adrian Peterson Wallpaper

Someone inform FoxSports.com that they MESSED UP

CFN picks Adrian Peterson as the best RB in the country. ready for the NFL!
 1. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma (Soph.) – Peterson is ready for the NFL today, but the NFL won’t be ready for him for another two years. Last year’s Heisman runner-up nearly eclipsed the 2,000-yard barrier, making him the best thing in a true freshman since Herschel Walker landed in Athens. At 6-2, 210, Peterson runs like a gazelle and sheds tacklers better than any young back in recent history. Hit him low, and he keeps his balance. Hit him high, and he’ll leave tread marks. The best defense is to gang tackle Peterson, and that’s a heck of a burden on a defense. It’s way early, but barring injuries, he has the physical characteristics and personal makeup of an all-time great.
2004 Numbers – 339 rushes for 1,925 yards and 15 touchdowns
Shades of…Eric Dickerson
the rest

Very Rare Photo discovered! Texas tackling Adrian Peterson!!! Yes, proof Texas did tackle Adrian Peterson THE PHOTO IS A HOAX, TEXAS NEVER TACKLED Adrian, that is Antonio Perkins being tackled!

Click to enlarge the HOAX photo

As part of its agreement with the Big 12 Conference, ABC Television has picked up two more University of Oklahoma football games and established the kickoff times for each.  The Sooners’ Sept. 3 season opener against Texas Christian will kickoff at 11 a.m., in Norman. I expect Adrian Peterson to rush for 180 yards that game.  The 100th renewal of the Red River Shootout featuring OU and Texas will begin at noon on Oct. 8 in Dallas’ Cotton Bowl. I expect Adrian Peterson to rush for 150 yards that game.

ABC has designated both games for a split-national telecast.

Earlier, ABC announced that it had selected the Oklahoma at UCLA football game for airing on Sept. 17.  That game will kickoff at 2:30 p.m., central time, 12:30 p.m., Pacific. I expect Adrian Peterson to rush for 160 yards that game

All 13 OU games were televised last season, including eight by ABC.  Since Bob Stoops became the Sooners’ coach in 1999, 62 of the team’s 79 games have aired on television including 36 on ABC.

Television status and starting times for Oklahoma’s other 2005 games are yet to be determined.

OU 2005 Schedule

No Adrian Peterson bobble heads (Heisman campaign): "We don't feel like we need to go that extra mile and come up with bobble head dolls, all that stuff," Oklahoma assistant SID Chris Freet said. "We're on TV constantly."

Vegas Odds for Heisman: USC quarterback Matt Leinart is nearly even money to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner. Leinart's closest competitors are teammate Reggie Bush and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson (5-1).

LASooner has finished his 2004 Season Highlight Video, It's Awesome

Adrian Peterson named to the Playboy All-America team. He did not attend the photo shoot in AZ

With all the NFL Draft Talk, Adrian Peterson should be number 1 pick in 2007 or 2008
Word is Adrian Peterson's rehab for his shoulder is going as planned and he will be ready for fall practice.

New NFL Numbers for Sooners

From NFLDraftCountdown.com:

This is a great sight. How much do you like Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson chances to be the first overall pick come the 2007 NFL Draft? I know that it may be a little to early to ask this question but this kid is a flat out stud. I've never seen a freshman dominate the way he has throughout this season. I feel that the only reason he did not win the Heisman was because he's a freshman. He is a true freak of nature and the scary thing is that he may not have reached his full potential. He's only going to get better.  Juan

I couldn't agree with you more and he sure looks like a future #1 overall pick, whether it is after his junior season in 2007 or in 2008. It looks like he has all the tools to be a franchise player in the NFL and he just may be the best running back prospects to come along in decades. Don't worry about the Heisman though, I am sure he will have at least one before his career with the Sooners is over.

- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown

College stars stay in school, making it a weak draft. Adrian Peterson mentioned as the number 1 running back in the country!
The No. 1 running back is Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma, who was an All-American as a freshman and, like Bush, a Heisman Trophy finalist. The Sooners will be doing a lot more running in 2005.

Coach Switzer on Adrian Peterson: "On sensational Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson: "Billy Sims was the greatest back to ever play there (Oklahoma). I think Adrian will be in that class. ... "

Happy Birthday Adrian Peterson, 20 years old on March 21, 2004

Heismanwatch for 2005

Adrian Peterson, RB

School: Oklahoma Class: Sophomore Ht: 6-2 Wt: 210 Comment: To top 2004, Peterson will have to rush for 2,000 yards.

Article I think I missed this past season on Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson Offensive Player of the year - per DBI.com

We, here at DraftBoardInsider.com, are pleased to announce our Offensive Player of the Year for the 2004 NCAA football season. By a unanimous vote, we proudly give you Adrian Peterson, RB for the University of Oklahoma.

Never before has the likes of Adrian Peterson been seen in the college football ranks. Some of you may be thinking that I just mistyped. I couldn't possibly have meant NEVER, could I? Yes, I typed never and I meant never. You might be thinking of other true freshman sensations such as Ron Dayne, Tony Dorsett, Marshall Faulk, the great Herschel Walker, or even Emmitt Smith. I understand that thinking and while it is quite a list, Adrian Peterson now sits at the very top of it. He is the all-time true freshman rushing leader.

All of the above names hold something true to our hearts but their NFL careers are what we remember most about them at this point. Give it 10 years or so and I guarantee that we'll be saying the same things about Peterson. In 10 years we may be comparing a kid who is sitting in kindergarten right now to Adrian. As certain as that is speculation is the fact that records are meant to be broken and Adrian Peterson broke more than his fair share and for that, he deserves his day in the sun.

Peterson was nicknamed AD by his father and although some assume AD is just short for Adrian, it was actually meant to stand for All Day because he was sure that his son could run all day. Adrian has not fallen short of his fathers expectations. Peterson led the nation in rushing attempts with 314 with which he accumulated 1,925 yards, a 6.1 YPC average, for the mighty Sooners of Oklahoma. AD out rushed the previous true freshman record holder, Ron Dayne, by 62 yards. Back to those other names we mentioned, he out rushed Dorsett by 349 yards, Faulk by 496 yards, and the NFL's leading rusher Emmitt Smith by 561 yards. He also tied Smith's record of reaching 1,000 yards in just his 7th game.

Peterson rushed for over 100 yards in 11 of the Sooners 12 regular season games this year. Amazingly, of his top four rushing performances, only one, 183 yards against Oregon, came on his home field. In the other 3, he eclipsed 200 yards. His biggest game came against rival Oklahoma State when he ran for 249 yards and averaged 7.8 yards per carry. His longest run of the year also came in that game when he broke several tackles and came out of a pile to sprint 80 yards for a touchdown.

Making plays like that is just one of his specialties. Another seems to be making defenses crumble at his feet into a pathetic heap. He ran for 225 yards and a 7 YPC average against a stubborn and touch defense of the eventual Rose Bowl Champion Texas Longhorns. At times he can run like a gazelle while at others he can roll over people like a freight train. His 6'2, 210 lbs frame bruised some opponents while his grace and quick feet left others with the familiar 'deer in the headlights' gaze.

He used both of those talents in a nail-biter against Texas A&M. With OU struggling to keep their unbeaten streak alive, Adrian Peterson came in and made one of the most beautiful 4 yard carries ever seen. You may have been expecting me to reference some huge play where he took off for a long score, but if you saw this play when it happened, or if you've seen it since on replay, you understand why this play stands out. Mere minutes after dislocating his left shoulder, Peterson came in on a 3rd down and 2 yard play and picked up four tough yards. He was stopped and it looked like he wasn't going to make it but somehow he did. Quoting fullback J.D. Runnels, 'It was really something special; he made six people miss on that play.' Special in deed, with those 4 yards and the resulting first down, Peterson helped OU milk the clock down to 1:09, secure the win, and preserve their unbeaten record.

With all that Peterson did as a true freshman, many people prayed he would win the Heisman but it was no surprise when he didn't. I imagine that behind closed doors, the thought-process went something like this: 'He still has two more years of eligibility and he could conceivably win it easily in the next two years. We can't possibly let a single man win it three times in a row even if he is the best college football has ever seen.' As a true freshman, Peterson owns the national true freshman rushing mark and is already amongst the top 10 in OU's single season rushing leaders. There is no reason to suspect he won't continue to improve.

Coach Stoops certainly thinks so as evidenced by what he said of him in Sports Illustrated, 'He's big, he's strong, he's fast, he's got great vision, he's got everything you look for...He's got a great attitude about work, and doing things the right way.' There are probably a thousand similar quotes out there about Peterson. In all the research, game watching, and interviewing I've seen in preparation for this article, I never once heard or saw anything bad or degrading said about AD.

He is a fine young man, plain and simple. He has reached superstar status at the campus of OU, regularly being hounded by autograph seekers and fans, at the tender age of 18 and he's handled it like a pro. Although he adores the attention, as any young man his age would, he remains grounded and determined, as shown in his performances throughout the year. It hasn't always been easy for AD growing up but one thing has certainly come easy to him, or so it seems, his running. At least it seems that way for the average Joe like you and I. No one has ever made it look any easier than Adrian Peterson.

Perhaps DraftBoardInsider.com Player of the Year doesn't take the sting out of not winning the Heisman, AD, but don't worry, that too will come. With the talent and gift that you have, you could quite possibly win it for the next two years. It is amazing to see so much talent bottled up in one young man. It almost isn't fair to tell you the truth. Yet, watching someone use this type of talent to its exhausting edge is a treat for every fan of college football.

Adrian Peterson is on track to become not only the best running back in OU history, but in the history of the whole NCAA. I personally cannot wait for next year. It has been a pleasure to watch this kid run, and it will be even better to watch him develop into what the hype is building him up to be. If there is anyone that can live up to that hype, and not crumble under the pressure, trust me, AD is that someone.

OU signing day a SUCCESS

Peterson lived up to the hype

Kansas State LB recruit wants to SMACK Adrian Peterson
"Hitting, it's all I do. I hit," Walker said. "I'm coming there to hit. I wanted to play against the best, and I want to hit them. I'm going to smack Adrian Peterson." Link

NORMAN, Okla. -- A camera crew from ESPN the Magazine was in Norman this weekend to conduct a photo shoot with Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson.
 
The national publication has an upcoming issue entitled "Next" where it will feature prominent athletes expected to make an impact in 2005. Peterson will be featured on the cover.
 
The photo shoot was held on the second floor of Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Peterson posed with an OU football, his helmet, his jersey and various other props including a crimson OU flag draped around his shoulders.
ESPN photos

NORMAN, Okla. – Freshman running back Adrian Peterson underwent left shoulder surgery Monday afternoon to repair torn cartilage, family friend Steve Eudey said. Peterson will miss spring practice, but the Heisman Trophy runner-up is expected to be ready come August.

The procedure lasted about 21/2 hours at an outpatient center in Edmond, Okla., Eudey said.

"The doctor said it was a standard injury for football players, and he didn't indicate there was anything in there that was unusual," Eudey said while waiting for Peterson in the recovery room.

Also, freshman cornerback Marcus Walker had surgery on his right shoulder at the same clinic.

Sooners and Peterson looking to next year

Next Year depends on Adrian Peterson

Peterson set a school record by running for 1,925 yards

Brad Nessler talking about Adrian Peterson: "He's not too special, is he?," play-by-play man Brad Nessler said. "Wow. He's something.""

Trev Alberts: "I have Adrian Peterson as my Heisman guy .. I will vote for him. OU would have 2 losses without him. He is the most outstanding player."

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