Adrian Peterson is one of the best football players to ever come out of the talent hotbed of Texas, which is why many were stunned when he chose to enroll at Oklahoma nearly two decades ago. The running back says there is one man to blame for that.
Peterson was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame over the weekend. While delivering his speech, he answered what he said is the most common question he has faced throughout his career: Why did you leave Texas? Peterson, who grew up in the town of Palestine, said that was never the plan.
“My uncle played (at Texas) with Priest (Holmes) and Ricky (Williams) and those guys,” Peterson recalled. “I remember going and watching them play and sitting outside the stadium waiting for my uncle to come out and I’m looking and I’m like, ‘I’ll be back here one day.’ I was Texas all the way.”
Peterson said anyone who is upset he went to Oklahoma should blame former Longhorns coach Mack Brown. A.P. insists he was ready to commit to Texas before Brown told him he would not have a chance to compete for a starting job as a freshman. Late running back Cedric Benson had decided to return to Texas for his senior season, and Brown was committed to Benson.
“For the people that find themselves mad at me about going to Oklahoma, this is what I’m saying — if you’re going to be mad at anybody, be mad at coach Mack Brown,” Peterson said.
At Oklahoma, Peterson became the first freshman ever to finish as a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He had three straight seasons with 1,000-plus yards and scored 42 total touchdowns during his college career. You have to wonder if Brown wishes he took a different approach when recruiting Peterson, though at least he was honest.
Peterson has openly said he wants to play for a Texas team, but it does not look like he will ever get the opportunity.
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