Vikings: So, we meet again ... loudly

Shawne Merriman is a 6-4, 272-pound linebacker who earned the nickname "Lights Out" when he knocked four players unconscious in the first half of a game during his sophomore season at Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro, Md.

Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson is a 6-1, 217-pound running back who enjoys delivering extreme contact on the football field.

So what kind of collision might we expect on Sunday when Merriman's Chargers visit Peterson's Vikings in the Metrodome?

"I told him when I saw him in the offseason, 'I'm going to try to knock your head off,'" Merriman said Sunday after the Chargers' 35-10 victory over the visiting Texans. "He just laughed. He knows I'm joking. Well, not joking. I'm serious, but I think he's a good guy. And I respect the fact he runs the ball and plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. I can appreciate that but, at the same time, tell him I'll be there waiting for him."

Peterson and Merriman met in Los Angeles, where Peterson had gone to take care of some marketing deals. Peterson met up with Saints running back Reggie Bush, who introduced him to Merriman.

"It was just a little funny encounter," Peterson said. "He's a pretty cool dude. I just took it as really funny."

Two years ago, Merriman seemed sure the Vikings were going to select him with the seventh overall pick in the draft. Merriman had been a star at the University of Maryland. Mike Tice, who coached the Vikings then, attended Maryland and always had a soft spot for fellow Terps.

The Vikings chose Troy Williamson instead. Merriman went 12th to San Diego. He made the Pro Bowl in his first two seasons and was Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year.

"I definitely thought I was going to Minnesota," Merriman said. "It was a big possibility that I would end up there. But I ended up in a good spot."

Staff writer Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.

Mark Craig • mcraig@startribune.com