NEW YORK CITY--Adrian Peterson, the seventh pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, will wear jersey number 28 for the Minnesota Vikings this year. The Oklahoma star managed to become the first player in school history to break 3,000 rushing yards in two seasons. Despite injuries suffered during his three years at school, his 747 rushing attempts is number two for the university and number six for the Big Twelve Conference. He rushed for 4,045 yards, scored 41 touchdowns and gained 4,401 all-purpose yards during his college days. Those feats helped catapult him to the top of the NFL Draft and earned him comparisons to NFL legend Eric Dickerson.
Peterson was on hand for the NCAA Football 08 launch party in New York before he became a Top 10 NFL Pick. In addition to being great on the field, Peterson has been a big fan of football videogames.
What's it going to be like for you to see yourself in Madden NFL 08 for the first time?
It’s great when you think about it. Seeing yourself on NCAA Football and now knowing that your name is going to be on the back of that jersey with Madden, that’s pretty special. You realize all of the work you’ve put into football over the years is paying off. I’m enjoying it.
How long have you been playing videogames?
I’ve been playing videogames for a while. I’m not the type of player that plays day-to-day or all night long, but I like to play. And when I do play it’s either college football or Madden.
What teams do you like to play in NCAA Football? I like to play as Texas and Miami. When you play these teams, these are the teams you know that overall, on both sides of the ball, they have speed on both sides of the ball; so you kind of have a little advantage. I also play as Oklahoma some times.
And who are your favorite teams in Madden?
It depends on the year the game came out, but I like to play the Cowboys and San Diego. You got to love LT and how he runs the ball and they have a great quarterback.
Are there any memories of playing games back in the early days of gaming?
I remember playing Nintendo playing Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. I remember putting the gun up to the TV screen and shooting. Games like that. It went on after that. I’d play Donkey Kong and other games all the way up to now.
What about any sports videogames back in the day?
Track and Field. That was a great game. I used to play that at arcades with spoons. If you play with spoons and hit the buttons you could play for a long period of time without getting your fingers numb. I was able to get some high scores playing with spoons. You got to work those spoons like Bobby Johnson, man.
Did you have much time to play games during college?
I had free time to play videogames. I have a little girl so a lot of my free time I’d spend with her. But I’d find time to game.
Did you ever play an NCAA Football game to get your mind off a bad game?
I did that with the Oregon game. After the way that game worked out in Eugene, I went back on NCAA Football 07 and replayed it and got some payback. It made me feel a little better.
What's it like for you to be at the NFL Draft?
This is truly a blessing to be here. It’s a great opportunity. The experience is really one-of-a-kind. You really can’t describe it. You think about all of the work you put into this. All the workouts and traveling and being away from your family and working around everything to play high school and college football and dedication, and now to sit back and be able to able to do all of this and lead up to the NFL Draft is a dream-come-true.
What do you think about EA having a videogame party at the NFL Draft?
I never imagined I’d be at a party with EA Sports for the NCAA Football game. Having met the people who make the game and some of the guys involved, it’s been a really cool experience.
