Adrian Peterson established himself as a Pro Bowl regular early in his career. His fifth trip might hold just a little more meaning for the Minnesota Vikings running back.
Around this time a year ago, Peterson was recovering from surgery to repair a devastating knee injury. Twelve months later he’s back in the islands after putting together one of the most productive seasons in NFL history.
“I guess a little more,” Peterson said of the significance of this season’s selection. “Feeling blessed about being back off the injury and getting back to my regular form and coming back here to Hawaii. I missed out on it last year, so it feels good to be back.”
Peterson earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection by leading the league with 2,097 rushing yards, coming within eight of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record and silencing any lingering questions over the health of his knee.
While he’s earned accolades and admiration for his remarkable bounce-back season, Peterson characterized 2012 as “bittersweet.”
The “sweet” was playing a part in Minnesota earning a spot in the postseason before falling to Green Bay in the wild-card round.
“That was my ultimate goal, to help my team get to the playoffs,” Peterson explained. “The bitter part is losing.
“We were able to get a taste. A lot of people focus on how I performed personally and it was OK, there was a lot more I could have done. But ultimately we made the playoffs. A lot of young guys got that taste in their mouth and they’ll be hungry to get back.”
Peterson’s hunger to simply get back on the field served as inspiration for his teammates. He suffered a torn ACL and MCL in a game against Washington on Christmas Eve in 2011. About the time the Pro Bowl rolled around, he was taking his first steps toward rehabbing his knee.
“I was grinding, man,” Peterson said. “I really wasn’t able to do as much because I was pretty much fresh out of surgery. But the stuff I was able to do I was able to take advantage of it.”
Peterson regained his strength and speed and returned to power, leading the Vikings into the playoffs with the second-highest rushing total in NFL history. His 348 carries ranked second in the league, and he averaged six yards per carry and 131.1 yards per game.
He ran for a season-high 210 yards against Green Bay on Dec. 2 and closed the regular season with a 199-yard a performance against the Packers on Dec. 30 that brought him tantalizingly close to Dickerson’s record and helped push the Vikings into the playoffs.
“Adrian’s incredible,” Minnesota tight end Kyle Rudolph said. “Starting in April when we got back from the offseason, the work that he put in I think that had a lot to do with our team’s success this year.”
Peterson has enjoyed success in the Pro Bowl as well. He was named MVP of the 2008 game when he ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns, but his comeback appearance at Aloha Stadium on Sunday might be his most telling achievement.
“I didn’t really focus on any type of accomplishment or anything,” Peterson said. “I told myself if I come back and be better than I was before then all those things will come.”
