Dr. James Andrews. Photo/Mike Oliver

Dr. James Andrews. Photo/Mike Oliver

Dr. James Andrews has a book on youth sports injuries (Any Given Monday) coming out Tuesday. He is, of course, also the famed orthopedic surgeon who did the surgery on Adrian Peterson's knee shortly after it was injured barely a year ago. We had a chance to speak today with Dr. Andrews. A longer Q&A will appear in print and online, but we thought an excerpt about Peterson was appropriate to throw out there now:

Q Adrian Peterson. It was barely a year ago – Dec. 30, 2011 – that you performed his knee surgery. First off, did you find a man’s body underneath the flesh, or is he a cyborg as we all suspect?

A He’s been a miracle. He’s a genetic individual who has been blessed to do what he’s done. I answer that question, and I try to throw the recovery back to the athlete. If you operate on the right athlete, they make you look pretty good as a physician. The three people who really got him there were Eric Sugarman, his trainer with the Vikings. Russ Paine, one of the best physical therapists in the country, and then Adrian Peterson. He’s the guy motivated to do all that. The rehab is boring and tiring. He pushed himself and motivated himself and was determined to be better than ever. The surgery was only a small part of it.
 
Q But seriously, from a medical standpoint, how do you explain what he has been able to do this season so soon after that injury and surgery?
 
A His recovery and success has been a major miracle. My definition of a miracle is something that happens that you don’t expect to happen. Thank God for it.

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