Rushing Touchdowns: 12
Longest Run: 82 Yards
Torn ACL and Sports Hernia: 1, and 1, respectively
Last week, news broke that Adrian Peterson had a procedure to repair a sports hernia he began to suffer from in Week 10. That means that not only was the Vikings' running back less than a year removed from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but he played nine games -in which he rushed for 1,239 yards- that many players would have sat out. Most people can hardly get out of bed with a sports hernia, yet Adrian Peterson was able to put together the second best season in running back history.
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| Adrian Peterson helped onto a cart after tearing his ACL on December 24th, 2011. |
There are some, including Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz, who believe Adrian Peterson is changing the way the sports looks at ACL injuries, and injuries in general. Injuring his knee in the final game of the 2011-2012 season, Peterson had surgery on December 30th, but was back on the sidelines for the Vikings' season opener at home against the Jaguars, scoring two touchdowns on 84 yards from scrimmage.
It would be one thing for Peterson to recover from his ACL in nine months rather than the year plus it takes most players. Medical procedures are advancing, and Peterson was in incredible shape to begin with. But for him to have the season he had -even his personal best by over 300 yards- is unheard of, especially when you add in the recent news of his sports hernia, therefore garnering comparisons between him and X-Men's Wolverine.
But Adrian Peterson is the outlier, not the norm. While yes, NFL players are more and more likely to return from injuries of this caliber than in decades past, still only 63% of players sustaining an ACL injury in 2010 were back in the game 10.8 months later.
A similar situation, Kansas City Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles also tore his ACL in the 2010 season, the only difference being his injury occurred nearly four months prior to Peterson's, and therefore had a longer recovery period than the 2012 MVP, as well as 500 fewer rushing yards and seven fewer touchdowns.
The NFL has not seen an athlete like Adrian Peterson in a very long time, if at all. His success has defied all barriers and obstacles, and appears like it will continue for years to come. But his story of the past two seasons will not become a model for other players. Because other players are not Adrian "All Day" Peterson.
It would be one thing for Peterson to recover from his ACL in nine months rather than the year plus it takes most players. Medical procedures are advancing, and Peterson was in incredible shape to begin with. But for him to have the season he had -even his personal best by over 300 yards- is unheard of, especially when you add in the recent news of his sports hernia, therefore garnering comparisons between him and X-Men's Wolverine.
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| Adrian Peterson breaks a tackle from Texans' linebacker Scott Barwin in Week 16 |
But Adrian Peterson is the outlier, not the norm. While yes, NFL players are more and more likely to return from injuries of this caliber than in decades past, still only 63% of players sustaining an ACL injury in 2010 were back in the game 10.8 months later.
A similar situation, Kansas City Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles also tore his ACL in the 2010 season, the only difference being his injury occurred nearly four months prior to Peterson's, and therefore had a longer recovery period than the 2012 MVP, as well as 500 fewer rushing yards and seven fewer touchdowns.
The NFL has not seen an athlete like Adrian Peterson in a very long time, if at all. His success has defied all barriers and obstacles, and appears like it will continue for years to come. But his story of the past two seasons will not become a model for other players. Because other players are not Adrian "All Day" Peterson.
Peterson is one of my favorite players because of his dedication to the sport. I think one of the reasons that players like him are able to get back up on their feet quicker is that with advanced medicine, doctors are much more aware of their patients' status. While Peterson's doctor probably advised him not to play, he was most likely given the proper precautions to take to minimize risk of another injury. Sports, like everything else in this world, are becoming more and more competitive, and sometimes you just have to take risks to win it.
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