Adrian Peterson says it’s unfair to compare injury with Robert Griffin III
By Mike Dyce
Jan 6, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) drops back to pass during the second half of the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks at FedEx Field. The Seahawks won 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Many fans in Washington were immediately overcome with pessimism and doubt after watching their star young quarterback go down with a gruesome leg injury in the playoffs. Robert Griffin III tore several ligaments in his knee and it seemed that the Redskins’s fans were headed back to the bottom of the NFC East, but there was hope.
Hope in one man, who defied the odds, and returned from an ACL surgery and had one of the greatest NFL seasons ever by a running back, falling 9 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s single season record and becoming the 7th man to pass the 2,000 yard mark. That man is likely set to win Comeback player of the year honors and even, possibly an MVP award.
That man is Minnesota Vikings’s Adrian Peterson.
But Peterson could be the exception, and not the rule. That certainly is what makes his season so incredible and miraculous. So it could be said that while his quick recovery if a beacon of hope for Redskins fans, it shouldn’t be the bar to which RG3 is held.
“That’s not fair,” Peterson said, via NFL.com. “Everybody’s body heals differently. That’s something nobody is going to understand.”
Griffin though has a history with these injuries, unlike Peterson. This is RG3’s second ACL surgery on the right knee and third total. But RG3’s doctor, orthopedist James Andrew says you can expect RG3 to return by season’s start.
But Peterson maintains he is the exception, not the rule.
“This is also a matter of genetics,” Peterson said. “Look at my dad. And my mom’s side, my aunts and uncles, they’re all ripped. At 50 years old, they’ve got six packs and eight packs.
“My body just heals differently. I know it has a lot to do with rehabilitation and work ethic — but I really credit my genetics for my recovery as much as anything else.”
Do you think RG3 will be ready in time for next season?