Adrian Peterson Reveals True Feelings About Being Picked by the Vikings

If Adrian Peterson had gotten his wish, he would not have been one of the greatest players in Minnesota Vikings history.

The 2012 NFL MVP revealed recently that he had secretly hoped the Houston Texans would take him instead of the Vikings, who chose him seventh overall at the 2007 NFL Draft.

Peterson recalled his draft night 18 years ago where he was linked to several teams ahead of Minnesota, including the Detroit Lions (No. 2), Cleveland Browns (No. 3) and Arizona Cardinals (No. 5).

“They were all picking in the top-10,” Peterson told Natalie Bode of the Stories Untold podcast. “When Minnesota went up, I said ‘I think Minnesota’s going to end up picking me.'”

Where Did Adrian Peterson Want To Be Drafted?

Peterson may have spent a decade playing in Minnesota. But at heart he has always been a kid from Texas.

He grew up in Palestine, Texas, which is equidistant to Houston and Dallas, then played collegiately at Oklahoma — despite fielding scholarship offers from Texas and Texas A&M as well.

“I thought Texas should have been the first offer,” Peterson recalled. “I was a Longhorn all the way … That rubbed me the wrong way that they didn’t offer first, being the No. 1 player in the country for two years. How you don’t offer me immediately?

“A&M, they weren’t ‘there.’ I wanted to go to a program that was going to compete for a national championship, so that kind of pushed me away from them.”

But when it came time for Peterson to leave Oklahoma — after finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting his freshman year and amassing 4,041 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns in his three seasons in Norman — he was hoping to go home and play for the Houston Texans, who had the 10th pick.

“During that time, I wanted to slip to No. 10, because then I would’ve gotten to go home and play in Texas,” Peterson said. “That would’ve been dope.”

The rest was history though, since Peterson went on to make seven Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro honors and won the 2007 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He still is the most recent non-quarterback to win the MVP award.

Peterson also recalled how the Cardinals, who chose tackle Levi Brown over him, admitted remorse for not choosing him.

“I ended up playing for Arizona for like half a season,” Peterson said. “They were like ‘that’s the worst decision we made. We wish we could’ve did it over and selected you.'”

What Other Sports Did Adrian Peterson Play?

Peterson may have been one of the top recruits in football coming out of Palestine High School, but he almost didn’t play with a pigskin at all.

“My first scholarship offer was because of track,” Peterson said. “I ran the 100[-meter dash], 200 and I did the long jump as well.”

If Peterson’s father Nelson didn’t intervene, he may have ended up as an Olympic-level track star. Instead, Peterson seems likely to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he is eligible in 2027.

“I had made a transition, just because of some of the coaches that were at the school, I wasn’t dealing with them. They was rednecks,” Peterson said. “They were just different, so I was just going to focus on track and went in that direction. Then my dad kind of shifted that idea for that, and I ended up getting back into [football].”