Vikings’ Adrian Peterson Says He Is Just Entering His Prime

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said he is just entering his prime, during a time when NFL running backs usually see their production decline.

More from Minnesota Vikings

There is a wide spread belief that once NFL running backs hit the 30 year-old mark, things start to take a turn for the worse and their production starts to drop off. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson doesn’t think that will apply to him.

“People say, ‘Oh, running back hits 34, 35 (and he’s done). When you get to 30, you go down.’ I don’t believe that,” Peterson told USA TODAY Sports’ Tom Pelissero. “I believe I’m just now here in my prime. I believe these next five or six years — or however long I decide to play — it’s going to be the same production and I’m going to do even better than I did before in my 20s.”

Of course, unlike a lot of running backs, Peterson is getting a great deal of time off to rest his body as he appeals a season-long suspension following a child-abuse case from early in the season.

Peterson has a track record of being a bit of an athletic freak, coming back rather quickly from an ACL surgery to get within single digit yards of Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.

“If you think you’re old, you’re going to feel old, you’re going to act old,” Peterson said. “You take care of your body and put the right things in your body, your body will take care of you.

“People thought I was crazy when I said I was going to come back from my ACL injury. You know why? Because they couldn’t believe that it could be possible. But I believed.”

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said he is just entering his prime, during a time when NFL running backs usually see their production decline.

More from FanSided