Minnesota Vikings’ Toby Gerhart thinks RB Adrian Peterson will be ready for the season – NFL News
It’s been seven months since Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson got an ankle injury during a game against Washington Redskins.
As his path to recovery continues, Peterson is hoping to be fit enough for the first game of the season. Even the backup to his position, Toby Gerhart, believes that he will be fully fit come the start of the season.
Gerhart was talking in the "Sunday Morning Sports Talk" on 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. He said:
"You can never be surprised with Adrian. The way he comes to work every day, the way he pushes himself. I mean, he was flying around, straight-line speed, moving out there. Racing Percy (Harvin) up the hill, doing conditioning stuff. I
wouldn't be surprised if he's ready. You can never count Adrian out."
Peterson had to undergo an ankle surgery because of the injury. In his absence, Gerhart was the prime starter at the running back position.
Peterson’s absence at the start of the season could be costly for Vikings if Gerhart is unable to perform well. Meanwhile, Gerhart is hoping that he will prove his status as a starter. He said:
"I'm looking, going into the season, to have a big role. So I'm excited about that, and ready to embrace that and go out and help this team win and really show people what I can do."
Last season was the first time that Peterson failed to cover more than 1,000 yards in a season. He was able to play just 12 games in the 2011 season, before he got injured in Week 12.
Although Gerhart played all the games, 431 out of his 531 yards were covered during the last six weeks of the season during Peterson’s absence.
Gerhart was drafted by Vikings in the second round (51st overall pick) in the 2010 draft. Last season he showed good progress after having an average rookie season.
On the other hand, Peterson is one the best running backs in the league today. He was drafted by Vikings as the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft.
He has been fantastic since his rookie season. He was named the 2007 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He is a four-time Pro Bowler and four-time All Pro. He got a Pro Bowl as well as MVP in his rookie season.
He made the franchise record of most rushing yards in a season with 1,760 yards in the 2008 season. Even though Peterson played limited games, he was ranked by NFL.com as the third best player for the 2011 season.
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