sports
Peterson rushes to fifth Pro Bowl
- Article by: CHRIS MILLER , Star Tribune
- Updated: December 27, 2012 - 5:06 AM
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Adrian Peterson's pursuit of the NFL rushing record made him an easy choice for the Pro Bowl.
And the man who paves the way for Peterson, fullback Jerome Felton, is headed to Honolulu as well.
Peterson and Felton were joined on the NFC Pro Bowl squad by teammates Blair Walsh, a rookie kicker, and defensive end Jared Allen.
The NFC and AFC teams were named on Wednesday night. The game is Jan. 27 in Honolulu; players whose teams make the Super Bowl will not play in the Pro Bowl, meaning there will be several replacements named later.
Peterson is 208 yards away from the NFL record of 2,105, set by Eric Dickerson in 1984, entering the season finale Sunday against the Packers.
"It just goes to show when you put your faith in God and you put in the work, you can accomplish great things," said Peterson, who made a remarkable comeback from major knee surgery.
Said Felton, signed as a free agent before the season, of him making the Pro Bowl: "I felt like it was something I could achieve if I was able to land in the right spot, and Minnesota has been that place for me. When you have a back like Adrian Peterson, running the ball is going to be your identity."
Peterson and Allen, who has an NFL-high 115 sacks since 2004, were both chosen for their fifth Pro Bowls.
"This time around it's extra special," Allen said, "because I've had to battle through some injuries."
Walsh set an NFL record with nine field goals of 50 yards or longer, and heard about his selection from special teams coach Mike Priefer.
"I got the news this afternoon from Coach Priefer, which was appropriate because he put a lot on the line when the Vikings drafted me and I owe him so much for the season that we've had," Walsh said. "It's been an unbelievable year, and I hope that it's not done for a long while yet."
Injury reportAllen was held out of Wednesday's practice with both a shoulder injury and a minor illness. Peterson did not practice either, given time to rest the abdomen ailment he's been dealing with.
The only limited participant was defensive end Brian Robison, trying to come back from a Grade 3 shoulder sprain. Robison missed the Vikings' 23-6 victory over the Texans on Sunday, which was doubly troubling to him because he played college football at Texas. He expects to play Sunday against the Packers.
"I'm doing much better, doing a lot of stuff hard in the rehab room, just trying to get it back," Robison said. "I feel like I got a good range of motion, it's just getting the strength back in it."
Holiday presentsHouston running back Arian Foster bought Segways for his offensive linemen, so the question about what Peterson will do for his offensive line has been bandied about at Winter Park.
"We'll see how it all plays out, how many yards he gets when we win the game," center John Sullivan said. "All I'm hoping for is a good performance from him and our offense and our entire team. The playoff berth is all we really care about. I don't really care about presents. I'm not too focused on that right now."
Ford added to practice squadThe Vikings signed tight end Chase Ford to their practice squad. Ford, a rookie from Miami, has been on both the Philadelphia and Dallas practice squads this season. Tight end Allen Reisner, who has been on and off the Vikings' roster the past two years, was claimed by Jacksonville after the Vikings cut him on Saturday. The Jaguars also signed guard Mark Asper, who had been waived by the Vikings.
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