Time and again, Adrian Peterson has proven he's no ordinary athlete.
The New Orleans Saints running back returned from a torn ACL in 2011 to rush for over 2,000 yards and win the MVP award the following season.
Now 32 years old and coming off an injury-ravaged 2016 season, Peterson is once again looking to prove he can achieve what few believe he can.
"Yes, the doubt motivates me," Peterson told Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report. "I'd be lying to say it doesn't. You want to do things people say you can't do."
Pompei spoke to Peterson's trainer, James Cooper, who believes his client can remain among the NFL's elite.
"There are the NFL players, there are the NFL starters, and then there is the upper-echelon one percent," Cooper said. "He is still going to be in that upper one percent."
Peterson is entering a situation unlike any he's faced in his 10-year career. During his time with the Minnesota Vikings, the seven-time Pro Bowler was always the focal point of the offense.
Now, in New Orleans, he won't only have to play second fiddle to Drew Brees and the passing game, but he'll also split carries with Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara.
"I don't need all those carries to be my best," Peterson said. "I don't think I became a great player by having to have 20 or 30 carries to get 200 yards. If they feed it to me, hey, I'm going to eat. Whenever I get opportunities, I'll take advantage of them."
