Adrian Peterson’s 2 year old son had passed away Friday evening following what authorities say was a brutal assault. Peterson returned to the team’s facilities Friday from South Dakota after missing Thursday’s practice. He issued a short statement prior to the announcement of his son’s death.
Speaking to reporters about an hour after the time of death — although it was not immediately clear if he knew about it – the Minnesota Vikings running back said he was certain he would play Sunday against Carolina.”I’ll be ready to roll, focused,” Peterson said. “I will be playing Sunday, without a doubt.”
“I plan on playing Sunday,” he said. “I will be playing Sunday, correct that. I’ll be ready to roll, focused. I’m worried about getting a W on Sunday, being 1-0… You know, football is something I will always fall back on. It gets me through tough times. Just being around the guys in here, that’s what I need in my life, guys supporting me and just being able to go out and play this game I love. Things that I go through, I’ve said a thousand times, it helps me play this game to a different level. I’m able to kind of release a lot of my stress through this sport, so that’s what I plan on doing.”
“I should start off by saying I really appreciate all the support that I’ve been receiving from fans, the Vikings organization,” Peterson said. “This is a private matter and I would ask you all to please just respect my privacy and not ask at all about the situation at hand. Thanks.”
Peterson tweeted, “The NFL is a fraternity of brothers and I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls and text messages from my fellow players.”
Other players around the league have been reaching out to Peterson and offering him their condolences.Vikings running back Toby Gerhart said many players had reached out to Peterson.”We consider each other family and brothers. It’s clichéd and everybody says, ‘We’ve got each other’s back’ when we go on a football field, but when something like this happens, it’s truly a testament of being a teammate and how tight this family is,” Gerhart said.
Our prayers go out to the Peterson’s family.
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