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Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson lit up the Indianapolis turf on Sunday with a blazing 40-yard dash time in the 4.3s. It turns out Peterson ran with a heavy heart that did not seem to slow him down a bit.
FOXSports.com has learned that Peterson was told in the wee hours Sunday morning that his half-brother was gunned down and killed in a Texas homicide. Sources say he was shot multiple times. The sources also said Peterson was very close to his half-brother and took the news extremely hard. Details are still sketchy and when contacted officials at the Houston Police Department did not have any information available.
Despite such heart-breaking news, Peterson pulled his emotions together to have an impressive workout at the NFL's scouting combine. Not only did he run the 40s (4.38 in his first run) but Peterson participated in all the running back drills.
Although his head was probably elsewhere, the former Heisman hopeful had what scouts deemed a terrific workout, including a 38.5-inch vertical and 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump. Peterson spent much of the time before and after his workout on the phone with grieving family members and didn't get much sleep Sunday morning.
It's even more impressive when considering many if not the majority of top-5 projected picks opted out of running and/or working out of the annual Indy affair In years, preferring to save their showing for personal workout days. Not only did Peterson decide to pull the opposite of most of prospects, he did so with a major distraction yet still blew the door off his workout.
Peterson certainly would have had a viable excuse if he chose to take a pass but he honored his commitment to participate. Teams this week spent hours upon hours interviewing potential draft picks in 15-minute intervals with the hopes of getting to know a kid's makeup, all with the confines of one-quarter of an hour. The young running back did not let on to any of the teams he interviewed with today that anything was amiss. Instead, Peterson has shown his makeup by his actions.
Unfortunately, it has come at a very heavy price.
FOXSports.com has learned that Peterson was told in the wee hours Sunday morning that his half-brother was gunned down and killed in a Texas homicide. Sources say he was shot multiple times. The sources also said Peterson was very close to his half-brother and took the news extremely hard. Details are still sketchy and when contacted officials at the Houston Police Department did not have any information available.
Despite such heart-breaking news, Peterson pulled his emotions together to have an impressive workout at the NFL's scouting combine. Not only did he run the 40s (4.38 in his first run) but Peterson participated in all the running back drills.
Although his head was probably elsewhere, the former Heisman hopeful had what scouts deemed a terrific workout, including a 38.5-inch vertical and 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump. Peterson spent much of the time before and after his workout on the phone with grieving family members and didn't get much sleep Sunday morning.
It's even more impressive when considering many if not the majority of top-5 projected picks opted out of running and/or working out of the annual Indy affair In years, preferring to save their showing for personal workout days. Not only did Peterson decide to pull the opposite of most of prospects, he did so with a major distraction yet still blew the door off his workout.
Peterson certainly would have had a viable excuse if he chose to take a pass but he honored his commitment to participate. Teams this week spent hours upon hours interviewing potential draft picks in 15-minute intervals with the hopes of getting to know a kid's makeup, all with the confines of one-quarter of an hour. The young running back did not let on to any of the teams he interviewed with today that anything was amiss. Instead, Peterson has shown his makeup by his actions.
Unfortunately, it has come at a very heavy price.