Lisa the NFL MVP Adrien Peterson one of the most uh vicious violent powerful Dynamic running backs in the NFL but a lot has happened in his life the recent tragic death of a son he barely knew and what we found out was that there were a lot of personal tragic losses that had occurred in his life that really fueled him and motivated him to be the person and the player that he [Music] is so how are you I'm doing pretty good doing pretty good maintaining what's the last 10 days been life for you it's been tough you know um but you know I'm a strong individual um have a great Supporting Cast a true fan base who who care about me and um you know um who's been sensitive to you know what I've been dealing with the past week what 28-year-old Vikings running back Adrien Peterson has been dealing with is the death of his 2-year-old son a son he didn't know he had until this past August while he was in training camp you know it was unexpected kind of got blindsided and you know just accepting it for what it for what it was and moving forward and then um you know a month and a half later you know I I get that phone call and you know it's I still haven't been able to wrap my head around it you did get to see your son though right you know um um that's the unfortunate part you know um you know pitchers you know um had opportuni to to talk with his mother but um you know it was like a month and a half in in season you know we was arranging to uh get him down so I can see him week four September 29th London Adrien Peterson runs for 140 yards in two touchdowns the Vikings beat the Steelers for their first win of the season 10 days later October 9th according to a sou Fall South Dakota police report a 27-year-old man Joseph Patterson allegedly assaulted Peterson's 2-year-old son Tyrese Robert Ruffin Patterson has been charged with second deegree murder and manslaughter he was reportedly living with the child's mother the following day Peterson rushed to the hospital in South Dakota to see his son I was able to see them then that was my first time you know so yeah you know that's something I have to live with for the rest of my life you know um you know the first time seeing my son you know he was he was gone basically can you tell me what you said to the little man you know I just said I was sorry you know um didn't quite know at the time what I was sorry for um but you know I told him that I loved them you know and um you know I miss him I'm going to miss him you know and uh you know just I just kept telling them that I was sorry Daddy was sorry the next day Friday October 11th Peterson's son died from his injuries I ask yall to please just respect my privacy and um not ask at all um about the situation at hand thanks appreciate [Music] it two days later Peterson decided to play against the Carolina Panthers it was it was tough I just prayed you know I prayed just G me the strength to get through and I was able to get through the following week media reports speculated that Peterson had as many as seven children it's been a tough time for me and my family you know people you know what they would say want to kick you when you appear to be down Peterson has two children who live with with him and his fiance but he won't say how many children he has in total I know the truth you I'm comfortable with that knowledge things like that but it's got to hurt not really you know um it it it really don't hurt because I try to avoid it I'm able to you know be strong still you know walk around with a smile on my face his fans call him all day but they have no idea how long the reigning NFL MVP's days have been at every step from Pop Warner to high school to college to the NFL Adrien Peterson has endured a lifetime of loss I try not to ask why you know um you know I just ask God to you know give me the strength to carry [Music] on Peterson was physically gifted from the beginning his mother Bonita Jackson was a track star at the University of Houston his father Nelson Peterson was a basketball star at Idaho State I used to hang him on the doorway and just leave him on the doorway and tell him that's the ho on Don't Let Go I walk through the house come back 2 minutes he still be holding on Adrien split his time between his mother and father who never married but remained friendly it was here on these Palestine Texas football fields that his father taught Adrien about football at the age of six instilling the physical style he's now known for I took him to a football field with his pads on I had another kid with his pads on and I had Adrian just stand there with the football in his hand and Tuck his chin and had the kid that run at him for about five yards back and just leveled him the next time I said we're going to meet Force W Force at the time Adrienne's best friend was his half brother Bran who was 11 months older me my brother he was like this did everything together you know I used I us just beat him up I used to fight him because I could never beat him running they were like two p in the par they rode bicycles together they they played football together they ran track together I mean everything they did they did together in 1993 when Brian was nine and Adrian was 8 what started out as a regular day playing outside their apartment building suddenly changed they was riding bikes I just remember you know playing football with the guys and it was like I don't know it happened so fast Brian was struck by a drunk driver Adrien was just a few feet away his head slammed and hit and his head like immediately swoll up and I remember running over to him U falling down on my knees and uh you know picking him up by his head you know I was calling his name Brian you know calling his name repeatedly he wasn't responding at all Brian spent a week in a coma before the family made the decision to discontinue life support the drunk driver was convicted of manslaughter I ponder about what if Brian was here what would you do it was football that helped Adrien recover from Brian's death over the next few years he emerged as a star with the help of his father who often helped coach him but in 1998 when Adrian was 13 that changed his daddy had been arrested you know and that was another blow for him you know it's like everything happening you know in lives of this little young kid adrianne's father pled guilty to laundering drug money and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in Tex Arcana 4 hours away from his son losing my dad it was tough you know I was already struggling with you know losing my brother you know that was a hard time for me 5 Years Later by his senior year Adrien was the number one ranked high school player in the country Adrian went on to Star at Oklahoma as a freshman in 200 4 he finished second in the Heisman voting and when Adrian was a junior his father after serving 8 years in prison was released and finally able to attend one of his son's games I'm able to look back you know and see him now you know it's just that that warm feeling just that good feeling that b you know hey take my pops watching me this let's go to work Peterson suffered a broken color bone during his Junior season as he prepared for the 20 7 NFL combine some Scouts labeled him injury-prone then days before the combine he received an encouraging call from his 19-year-old stepbrother Chris he was pumped up excited for me cuz the opportunity was finally here you know telling me good luck you know represent for you know back home here in Palestine you know do your thing the morning of the 2007 combine Peterson got a phone call from a family friend he was like Chris got got shot last night um you know in Houston Houston Texas his stepbrother had been carjacked shot and killed Adrien decided to go through with the combine and ran a 43840 the second fastest time among all running backs with the seventh pick in the 2007 NFL draft the Minnesota Vikings select Adrien Peterson running back Oklahoma in his first four seasons in the NFL Peterson rushed for more than 5700 yards and 54 touchdowns Peterson is gone in 2011 the Vikings rewarded Peterson with a $100 million contract the highest ever for a running back December 24th 2011 Minnesota was at Washington hand off Adrian Sprints up the middle up ended at the 15 and Adrien Peterson is down and he is writhing in pain right now I felt like two pops and you know immediately I knew something was wrong and I'm just like no one touched me no one touch me Peterson had torn the ACL and MCL in his left knee he was expected to be out for a year on December 30th 2011 Peterson had surgery and immediately started rehab the toughest part about the rehab just dealing with the pain it was horrible it was pain that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy I knew that by the body work I had put in that something special Could Happen something special did happen just N9 months later Peterson was on the field for week one of the 2012 season couple of TDS today for Peterson I'd say that acl's okay you know what people think right what do they think you must have took something you juicing or something it's a compliment so did you use steroids to come back not at all did you ever consider it no it wasn't even a thought in 2012 Peterson had a season for the ages he rushed for 297 Ys 8 yd shy of Eric Dickerson single season Peterson carried the Vikings to the playoffs and was named the 2012 NFL MVP Here Comes Adrien Peterson his first Carry now in his seventh NFL season Adrien Peterson carries more than just a football and he's loose he also carries with him all the loss he has endured welcome back MVP you've been through so much you lost your brother your father was in prison you lost your stepbrother now you've lost your son I try not to ask why you know um it's been a lot of loss for you a it has it has it has more than most people yeah but I focus on the positive things you know and try to make the best you know I use things to motivate me