While spending 2007 breaking records and winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Adrian Peterson's life changed in every way.
He's planning a big encore on the field in 2008, but he's already begun changing lives away from the field.Most NFL rookies don't hit the ground running the way Peterson did last year, as he racked up 1,341 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. Beyond that, the polish he showed in eluding tacklers and charming fans and media alike made it easy to forget that he was still learning the ropes as a first-year pro.
Now he's a veteran, and he'll be expected to do the things that veterans do, such as provide leadership and represent the Vikings in the community.
That's where Peterson's star is really rising, thanks to the All Day Foundation — the organization that serves as an umbrella for his charitable efforts. The foundation hosted its first major fundraiser this past June — the 2008 Adrian Peterson Celebrity Classic — a golf tournament at Bearpath Country Club in Eden Prairie. The event was held in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities and Special Olympics Minnesota, two causes that are near and dear to Peterson. He spent many an afternoon at the Boys Club while growing up in Palestine, Texas, and the Special Olympics hits even closer to home.
"I have cousins with disabilities, and I'm sure
everybody has someone in their family that has
some type of disability," Peterson says. “It really
puts things in perspective. We had a Punt, Pass
& Kick event out here (at Winter Park) that I took
over from Tony Richardson last year, and I loved
just being out there interacting with the kids and
seeing how joyful they were…
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