It’s been nearly two years since Adrian Peterson first set foot on Owen Field as a freshman. His mixture of speed and power quickly made an impression.
It was so powerful he finished runner-up for the 2004 Heisman Trophy and set an NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards.
But last season, his rushing total dipped to 1,108 after a midseason ankle injury knocked him out of two games and sidelined him for most of two more.
It was a season that tried the 21-year-old’s patience. He had been the centerpiece of every team he’d played on since junior high. Having to watch from the sidelines wasn’t easy.
“It was painful, not being able to go out there and go to war with my team,” he said. “Just sitting there watching. That’s not what I really like to do. It was hard for me, but it’s all part of the game.”
And the result could be a very different player in the Sooner backfield in 2006.
He’s bulked up to 223 pounds and went through spring drills for the first time in March and April.
“I think being able to go through spring helped me a lot to get in better shape and just really put on a little weight also,” Peterson said. “Being able to go through spring for the first time really helped me a lot to see how much I could improve.”
Improving in the passing game was his major focus of the offseason. He only has 14 catches in his first two seasons, but he expects a dramatic rise in his receiving numbers.
OU coach Bob Stoops said there’s no specific numbers to look for, but admits the Sooners will ride Peterson’s unique talents as far as they will take them.
“I haven’t seen anything like him,” Stoops said of Peterson. “He is a powerful, explosive guy with great speed. He has great style to him. He is a tough physical runner. I don’t know how to compare him to anybody else. The bottom line is that until he was hurt he has had great success. It is not his fault or anybody else’s that you catch a high ankle sprain. That is a tough situation. We plan to give him the ball a lot, running and passing, and hopefully he will stay healthy and have a great year.”
Everyone, including Peterson, expects just that.
He, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith have been installed as the front-runners to win the Heisman Trophy.
Peterson admits he would like to see his name etched on college football’s biggest individual prize. But there’s a lot of things he wants to accomplish before his collegiate career is over.
He covets one above all others.
“National championship. No doubt,” he said. “That’s the reason why you go through your workouts with all these guys, you go through your workouts out there sweating blood, tears sometimes to get ready for this; Big 12 first then the national championship.
“… Winning the national championship is the goal that we set as a team, and as a team, that’s what matters.”
Clearly, Peterson is in a position to help OU reach that level.
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
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