METAIRIE, La. _ Adrian Peterson was running a wheel route 30 yards downfield with two defenders blanketing him when Drew Brees launched the ball.
What the ...
"Yeah, that's not the first thing we think of when looking at Adrian's skill set," Saints coach Sean Payton joked after a practice with the Texans a week ago.
And yet Peterson went up, grabbed the ball and toppled into the end zone. Then he raced to the sideline and chest-bumped a teammate as a fan screamed, "I see you All-Day!"
"You can't be one-dimensional when you're in the game," Payton said. "Adrian has shown some flexibility."
Practice ends and Peterson smiles at a familiar visitor from a much cooler climate.
"And they say I can't catch," he says.
In Adrian Peterson's mind, there's always a disbeliever, a they that drives the former Vikings All-Pro running back and NFL MVP to keep bouncing back during a 32-year life that's been littered with adversity as well as greatness.
But how many times can he keep doing it?
One of Peterson's favorite pieces of scripture is Proverbs 24:16. Taught to him by his pastor, Calvin Simmons, it says, "For a just man falls seven times and rises up again ..."
So Peterson believes he will rise again, albeit in an unfamiliar complementary role, starting Sept. 11 at U.S. Bank Stadium against a Vikings team that was centered on him for 10 seasons.
"In my mind, we're starting and ending the season in Minnesota," said Peterson, referring to Super Bowl LII. "Of course I want to stick it to them. I want to stick it to everyone we play. But going back to Minnesota, playing the Vikings? Yeah, I want to stick it to them."
But don't confuse competitiveness with bitterness. Although Peterson paid homage to Vikings fans, he seemed almost giddy sitting there talking about his change of scenery. He also says he passed on the Patriots, Seahawks and three other unnamed teams so he could return to where he's most comfortable: the deep South.
"There's more love here, I guess, because it's Louisiana and there's a lot of Southern people," said the native Texan. "New Orleans and the Saints have more of a family-type feel. It feels right."
When the Vikings declined to pick up Peterson's $18 million salary for this season, Peterson said the team asked if he'd entertain a lower offer to return. He claims he would have thought about it but didn't hear from the team again until it signed Latavius Murray.
Peterson said it was "obvious" both sides needed to move on. He also said he's not upset when he hears the Vikings celebrate the benefits of now having three younger running backs who aren't one-dimensional.
"Whatever floats their boat," Peterson said. "Teams run different styles of offense. The Saints are a dominant pass team. But they're trying to be more balanced, so Sean pursued me. I know what I can do. Whatever Minnesota feels like will advance them, they should go for it. I am."
