NFL commissioner on Adrian Peterson: He 'took it seriously'

The commissioner praised the Vikings tailback after suspending him in 2014.

November 23, 2015 at 4:34AM

What a difference 369 days can make.

On Nov. 18, 2014, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Adrian Peterson after the Vikings running back accepted a plea deal in his child-abuse case. The Vikings were 4-6, having played nine consecutive games with Peterson inactive or on the NFL's exempt/commissioner's permission list.

Sunday, Goodell was at TCF Bank Stadium to watch the first-place Vikings and Peterson, the NFL rushing leader, play the second-place Packers. Goodell was asked about Peterson, whose reinstatement came in April after the two sides waged a legal battle that included U.S. District Court Judge David Doty ruling in Peterson's favor in late February.

"I haven't seen him yet this year," Goodell said of Peterson. "But he's an extraordinary player and a wonderful young man. I was very impressed in all of my meetings with Adrian. He's an individual who took it seriously and said, 'I want to do better.' I think he's taking great advantage of that opportunity."

Goodell also admitted the league has made mistakes while handling its personal conduct policy.

"That's why we redid our personal conduct policy," he said. "We spent so much time evaluating how we do that.

"A lot of attention goes on the discipline, but what we've really spent most of our time on is what kind of services can we provide? What kind of education can we provide to prevent these instances from occurring and to make sure that our players, our coaches, our executives, every one of us, upholds the standards and also understands how to make better decisions?"

Goodell and Vikings owner and President Mark Wilf also conducted a fan forum with about 50 fans at the U.S. Bank Stadium preview center Sunday morning. Goodell praised Vikings ownership and the community for the team's stability.

"I think the most important thing is [the Wilfs] started with a commitment and a vision," Goodell said. "They are very clear in that they want to have a model franchise that wins on the field. They want championships. Second, they want to make sure that they create a great experience for the fans. That is why they focus so much on the stadium and making sure that they're here in this market and making sure that they provide that best experience."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell poses for a selfie with a fan before an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell poses for a selfie with a fan before an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell takes a selfie with a fan before an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was at TCF Bank Stadium for Sunday’s game and took a selfie with a fan beforehand. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
This is a photo of Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings NFL football team. This image reflects the Minnesota Vikings active roster as of Monday, July 6, 2015. (AP Photo) ORG XMIT: NFLHS15
Peterson (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).

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