EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. —Adrian Peterson is gearing up for his 10th season opener on Sunday in Tennessee, meaning he knows what emotions to expect at kickoff.
One of them includes excitement, as the Vikings running back said Thursday that he still gets butterflies when the beginning of the season rolls around.* *
"Not at all, not at all. It's like the first day of school," Peterson said. "I can't sleep, just itching to get out there. I'm pretty excited."
Peterson is Minnesota's all-time leading rusher with 11,675 yards and 97 career rushing touchdowns.
The 31-year-old didn't play this preseason but has endured an eventful past nine days. Starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was lost for the season with a knee injury, leading to the acquisition of quarterback Sam Bradford.
Despite all the ups and downs, Peterson said he's ready to get between the white lines and go to work.
"It's been tough just sitting back and waiting for this, for the first week to come," Peterson said. "And everything that's taken place, it's been a little roller-coaster but we're finally here.
"I'm excited about the opportunity we have in front of us," he added.
Peterson has been teammates with Bradford before, back in 2006 when he was a junior at the University of Oklahoma and Bradford was a redshirt freshman.
Although Peterson quipped that he wished the two would have played together then, he got his wish now — even if it came as somewhat as surprise.
Peterson said he texted Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman shortly after Bridgewater's injury to add his two cents to the discussion. Peterson said Spielman assured him the front office would do what's best for the team.
The running back was in Texas for Oklahoma's season opener Saturday when he received word of the trade.
"It was like, 'Wow.' I didn't see that coming," Peterson said. "I know we were sitting here, the guys amongst each other, we were talking about guys they could possibly bring in.
"His name never came up because we knew he was down in Philadelphia and didn't see that happening," he added. "I tip my hat to our GM, Rick Spielman, for bringing a guy in who can contribute."
With Bridgewater gone for the season, Peterson noted he doesn't feel an extra pressure to produce. In fact, he said he's approaching Sunday's opener in Tennessee just like any other week.
"Any time I go into a season or a game, I want to be that guy that's a difference maker," Peterson said. "That won't change."
Peterson and the Vikings will undoubtedly be looking for a better Week 1 performance than last season's 20-3 loss in San Francisco.
Peterson, who rushed for just 31 yards in that game, said he's ready to roll for Sunday.
"My legs are fresh, (and) I've been making sure I'm getting my conditioning in," Peterson said. "So I'll be able to run all day."
Know the Tennessee Titans key contributors on offense, defense and special teams heading into the Vikings-Titans game Sunday.
Mariota completed 23-of-31 passes for 319 passing yards in three preseason games. He totaled a completion percentage of 74.2 and a passer rating of 104.1 heading into his second NFL season.
The 28-year-old running back enters his first year with the Titans, after a career low of 3.6 yards-per-carry with the Eagles last season. Murray looks to return to his form in Dallas where he rushed for NFL bests of 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2014.
Walker eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his 10 seasons in 2015 (1,088 yards). He had several career-highs last season, including catching 94 passes and hauling in six touchdown passes.
Sharpe was selected by the Titans with the 140th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The rookie played his college ball at UMass and has reeled in nine passes on 12 targets for 163 yards in the preseason.
Johnson leads all active players with 14,100 career-receiving yards. Johnson will begin his 14th season in the NFL on Sunday and his first with the Titans after 12 seasons with the Texans and one with the Colts.
Derrick Morgan has shown the ability to rush the quarterback as an outside linebacker over his years in Tennessee. Morgan has 11 sacks in 26 games since 2014 when the Titans switched to a 3-4 base defense.
McCourty is a quick defensive back, who was clocked running the 40-yard dash at 4.3 seconds. His twin brother, Devin McCourty, is an active safety for the New England Patriots and they share a Twitter account.
Casey had 7.0 sacks and 54 combined tackles in his fifth season for the Titans in 2015, garnering his first selection to the Pro Bowl.
Orakpo is a three-time Pro Bowler who signed with the Titans before the 2015 season. He led the Titans with 12 tackles for loss and 37 quarterback pressures.
The current head coach for the Titans has prior experience in Minnesota. Mularkey played tight end for the Vikings for the first six seasons of his career 1983-88, playing 75 games and making five touchdown catches with the Vikings.
