adrian peterson bears

Slumped over on crutches outside the Bears' locker room with his left ankle encased in a walking boot, running back Cedric Benson wore the look of a man who already knew his fate.

''I've got to go downtown [this] morning,'' Benson, the mercurial former No. 4 overall pick, said of his impending doctor's appointment.

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It's expected that Benson will miss the rest of the season after he was carted off the field Sunday following a 21-yard run. His left ankle was twisted down awkwardly when he was tackled by Denver safety Hamza Abdullah. It was the second-longest run of the season for Benson, whose struggles have been issue 1-A behind quarterback Rex Grossman's ups and downs.

''They told me not to say anything,'' Benson said while waiting for a helping hand to leave Soldier Field.

For the record, coach Lovie Smith called it a ''pretty good ankle injury.''

Adrian Peterson's long-awaited chance to be the man appears to have arrived. Peterson grabbed the opportunity and ran with it, bulling his way in on a four-yard touchdown run that was more a testament to human will and determination than running skill. Peterson stayed upright in a crowd of Broncos defenders, led by 350-pound tackle Sam Adams, and moved forward in a mass of linemen across the goal line.

''If you see four yards, you should get six,'' Peterson said. ''Once they give me the four, I try to fall forward for another two.''

He'll be celebrated for it today by the same people who chastised play-caller Ron Turner for taking Benson out last week in Seattle to give Peterson a shot. It's a fickle business. There had been cries for Peterson to get a chance for weeks. When he did, he was accused of ruining Benson's momentum.

''That's just how it goes,'' Peterson said. ''I know all the stuff, so it's just a matter of me going out and doing it.''

Benson finished with 47 yards on eight carries, which leaves him with 674 on 196 for the season, a 3.4-yard average. Peterson gained only 45 yards on 17 carries but also had a team-high five catches for 41 yards. He's going to run hard, and the Bears should lose a little predictability with Peterson no longer needing to come in as a blocker and receiver in passing situations.

The touchdown run is what teammates have come to expect from the 2002 sixth-round pick, who has bided his time mostly on special teams.

''We have a lot of faith in him,'' center Olin Kreutz said. ''He's a strong guy. He comes in there and he comes to work. He is a hell of a team player.''

What the Bears do roster-wise, assuming the worst fears are confirmed today, is unclear. Corey Dillon had interest in joining the Bears in September, but that is no longer the case. Garrett Wolfe had a 25-yard run in garbage time at the end of the first half and will slide into the No. 2 role.

One back who looked good was Denver's Andre Hall, who was with the Bears for a month in 2006 training camp. Hall lost out to P.J. Pope, who is stuck on the practice-squad injured reserve.

''Whenever we've called on [Peterson], whether it was injury or whatever, he's always stepped up to the plate,'' Smith said. ''We feel very comfortable with him, as we do Garrett also. Garrett gives you a different dimension, so we feel good about both guys.''

Adrian N. Peterson
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For the Minnesota Vikings running back, see Adrian L. Peterson.
Adrian N. Peterson Chicago Bears — No. 29
Running back
Date of Birth: July 1, 1979 (1979-07-01) (age 28)
Place of Birth: Gainesville, Florida
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight: 210 lb (95 kg)
National Football League Debut
2002 for the Chicago Bears
Career Highlights and Awards
Walter Payton Award (1999)
Several NCAA Divsion I-AA Records
[1]

Career History
College: Georgia Southern
NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 6 / Pick: 199
Teams:

Chicago Bears (2002-present)

Stats at NFL.com
Adrian N.[citation needed] Peterson (born July 1, 1979 in Gainesville, Florida) is an American football player. He is currently a running back and specialist for the Chicago Bears. He is an alumnus of Georgia Southern University, where he set numerous school, conference, and NCAA Division I-AA records.[2]

Contents
1 Early years
2 College career
2.1 "The Run"
3 NFL career
4 Personal
5 References
6 External links



[edit] Early years
Born to Porter R. and Reatha M. Peterson, his father works at the WAL-MART plant that makes Energizer batteries.[3] Adrian Peterson was a two-time all-state, all-area selection and team MVP at Santa Fe High School in Alachua, Florida where he rushed for 4,949 yards during his prep career to earn All-America honors from ESPN and Blue Chip Illustrated. Peterson ran for 1,526 yards and 17 TDs on 185 carries (8.2 avg.) to earn Florida Class 4A Player-of-the-Year honors as a senior. He also lettered four times in track and two times each in weightlifting and basketball while in high school.[2]


[edit] College career
During the late 1990s, Peterson played for Georgia Southern University, one of the most successful NCAA Division I-AA football programs in the country. He finished his career with 6,559 rushing yards, a Division I football record, and won the Walter Payton Award in 1999. He was the first sophomore to win the award for most outstanding player in I-AA football. Peterson finished among the top three vote-getters for the Walter Payton Award in all four of his college football seasons.[2]


[edit] "The Run"
Peterson is well known for a particular play known to some as "The Run", in which he broke numerous tackles and even threw one defender to the ground during a 58 yard rushing play. "The Run" took place during the 1999 NCAA National Championship game versus Youngstown State University in which Georgia Southern won 59-24.[2]


[edit] NFL career
The Chicago Bears selected Peterson in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. During his first season as a Bear, he rushed for 101 yards on nineteen attempts, and scored a single touchdown. He missed most the next season after sustaining an ankle injury. Since then, he has seen a rather limited role. The team has primarily relied on Peterson as a specialist. In 2004, he led the Bears' special teams unit with 28 tackles.[2]

Peterson saw more action as a running back during the 2005 Chicago Bears season, after the Bears' top two running backs, Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson, suffered injuries. Peterson rushed for 391 yards on 76 attempts, and scored two touchdowns. Peterson was the team's second leading rusher during the season, and even went on to score a touchdown during the NFC Divisional game against the Carolina Panthers.[2]

During the 2006 Chicago Bears season, Peterson returned to his role as a specialist and third string running back. He received occasional playtime as running back, but played a versatile on role on the Bears' Special teams. During the team's season finale, Peterson caught a 37-yard pass from Brad Maynard on a fake punt.[4] In the NFC Championship game, Peterson tackled Michael Lewis and forced a fumble.[5]

After the Bears traded Jones, Peterson was promoted to second string running back.[6]


[edit] Personal
He is the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Mike Peterson. He is also related to Freddie Solomon, who played for the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers. He performs community work in his spare time, and hosts an annual free youth football camp.[7] Additionally, Peterson, who has a speech impediment, volunteers his spare time to help children who also have the same problem.[8]


[edit] References