Is Brett Favre coming back? Vikes' Adrian Peterson offers his thoughts
BY MATT BAKER World Sports Writer
Friday, June 25, 2010
6/25/10 at 9:41 PM
NORMAN — Even back at the University of Oklahoma to host his football camp, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson couldn't escape the biggest storyline of the NFL offseason.
"Is (Brett) Favre coming back?" children kept asking the former Sooners star.
"I don't know," Peterson said of the Vikings' future Hall of Fame quarterback. "I don't know. Same answer. It hasn't changed all summer."
Peterson spoke to the media during a break of his two-day Old Spice Adrian Peterson Football Camp, which featured 450 children working out at OU's intramural fields.
The All-Pro running back and OU's No. 3 all-time rusher spent part of the camp throwing 10-yard passes to children. If he had it his way in 2010, Favre will be throwing passes in Minnesota's purple and gold.
"I would love him to," Peterson said of Favre returning for a 20th season. "I pray each night that he comes back for Year 2 — another year or two. …
"Obviously he's a heck of a player. I was just really kind of a kid in the candy store the whole season, just sitting there, having an opportunity to play with Brett Favre and share a locker right next to him, beside him. I was just taking it all in. I look forward to doing that again, I must say."
Favre's retirement saga includes missing workouts and minicamps, but Peterson recently drew scorn for missing a mandatory practice earlier this month. Instead of practice, the 2004 Heisman Trophy runner-up was in his hometown of Palestine, Texas, for Adrian Peterson Day.
Minnesota coach Brad Childress publicly scolded Peterson for his absence, but Peterson said he has no regrets and that he's smoothed the issue over with the team's front office.
"It's over with," said Peterson, who has rushed for almost 4,500 yards in three NFL seasons.
Is Peterson upset that Favre can miss weeks of camps while he gets in trouble for a trip home?
"No, not at all," Peterson said. "It had nothing to do with Brett Favre. If anyone deserves any kind of leeway, it's definitely Brett Favre. He's been there 20 years, a Hall of Fame quarterback. I'm not on the same level as him."
Favre told the Biloxi Sun Herald this week that he hasn't decided on his future, but he acknowledged the Vikings need to know soon.
Peterson said Favre can take his time and that the uncertainty surrounding Minnesota's starting quarterback isn't a distraction.
"We'll be waiting for him to come back if he decides," Peterson said. "If not, it will be very unfortunate for us, but we've still got a goal to accomplish, and we'll have to move forward.
"But I'm definitely looking forward to playing with him this year."
FOR A Q&A WITH ADRIAN PETERSON, SEE SATURDAY'S WORLD.
Associated Images:
Adrian Peterson tries to stop Austin Wente, 8, of Edmond during a scrimmage at the Adrian Peterson Football Camp on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman on Friday. MIRANDA GRUBBS/The Oklahoman
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