Adrian Peterson said he understands where Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson was coming from when he told CBSSports.com he didn't want Peterson breaking his NFL single-season rushing record.
"Yeah, I don't want anybody to break my single-game record, 296," said Peterson, who set that record as a rookie in 2007. "If they do, I'll congratulate them. Hopefully, it's me. But I don't want anyone to break it, either."
Standing 294 yards from breaking Dickerson's 28-year-old mark of 2,105 yards, Peterson was asked what he really knows about the man whom he is chasing. The man who gained 13,259 yards while playing for the Rams, Colts, Raiders and Falcons from 1983 to 1993.
"He's from Texas," said Peterson, a fellow native Texan. "I know the Pony Express [from Southern Methodist]. Even in high school, I got a lot of comparisons to Eric Dickerson. I wanted [number] 29, and my dad wanted me to wear 29 because of Eric Dickerson.
"Just watching him and his style, he's kind of an upright, tall back, fast, strong. I have kind of some of the same qualities as far as a back. He's a guy I liked watching growing up."
Dickerson praised Peterson, telling CBS Sports last week: "Adrian is a class guy. ... I see his highlights and he's a great player."
But ...
"I don't want him to break it," Dickerson said. "I'll be honest. I don't want to see it. If anyone ever broke it, and if my son played football, I'd want my son to break it. But that's it. No one else. Again, he's a phenomenal player, and seems like a good dude. If a player was to break it, I'd probably want it to be Adrian, but I like having the record."
