Games with Names - Dudes on Adrian Peterson

Episode Date: March 21, 2026

We're covering legendary running back, Adrian Peterson! Gronk and Julian Edelman discuss what made Adrian so great and some of their favorite stories.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything, like packing a spare stick. I like to be prepared. That's why I remember, 9-88 Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 9-88 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins, but the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax.

You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Gillespie and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped.

Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season 2 podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumpright became the victim of a random crime. The perpetrator was sentenced to 99 years until a confession changed everything.

I was a monster. Listen to Burden of Guilt Season 2 on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Good people. What's up? What's up? It's Questlove. So recently I had the incredible opportunity to have a real conversation with an actress and producer, Jamie Lee Curtis, from routines to recovery, true lies, and a certain Jermaine Jackson music video. Jamie's real and raw. And it's something I really admire about her. I am so happy that I'm the head bitch in charge at 67 that I have. have the perspective that I have at my age to really be able to put all of this into context. Listen to the Questlove show on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ready for a different take on Formula One? Look no further than No Grip, a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series. Join me, Lily Herman, as we dive into the under-explored pockets of F1, including the story of the woman who last participated in a Formula One radio. weekend, the recent uptick in F-1 romance novels, and plenty of mishap scandals and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to No Grip on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to dudes on dudes. I'm Julian

Edelman, and we're bringing you one of our favorite segments from the show talking about one of our favorite dudes in the NFL. Let's go. Jump into the dude that Stephen Ridley wanted to break down, set the clock. Let's get our AI anopsis. So let's explain to Ridd kind of what we do here on our show, Dudes on Dudes. We talk usually about a dude or two or three each episode, Ridd, and we break him down. We talk about his game for about 10 minutes, what type of player he was. But overall, after the 10 minutes, we put this guy and label him into a category of what type of dude they are. And there's five different categories that you can label them.

One is dog. The other is a stud. There's a stud. There's a whiz, a dude's dude, and a freak. Yes. Whiz being a guy that is innovative. This guy's brilliant. He's revolutionized something.

A freak being a Randy Moss dude. That's just this doesn't look like a freak. It doesn't look like a fucking. D.K. Metcalfe. Doesn't look like a. It looks like a freak of nature. Stud is someone who's had the pedigree his whole life. He's supposed to be that guy.

Like a Joe Burr. Joe Burrow, Kate Manning. You know, guys that were, first of all, draft pick, Heisman guy, you know what I mean? They were always the guy. A dog is a motherfucker that has been self-motivated. It's motivated, had to maybe go the long road, but always like physically, mentally fucking tough.

We'll bite your face off, not liked by many people, but fucking respected by everyone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you got the dudes dude who's like a glue guy in the locker room. The guy in the locker room that was, you know, vibe guy. He knew how to be a great leader. He was the guy that would cool the room when it needed to be cool, but light it up if it needed to be lit up. Yeah. So now let's get on to the AI synopsis of the guy, of the dude. We're supposed to be talking. That? We're be talking about

that Ridley picked here today. Standing at 6 foot one and weighing 220 pounds, this dominant running back was selected seventh overall in the 2007 NFL draft, the year I graduated. from high school. He grew up in Palestine, Texas, and starred at Oklahoma, where he set an NCAA freshman Russian record and was a Heisman finalist. He holds the NFL single game rushing record with 296 yards and was named 2012 NFL MVP after nearly breaking the single season rushing record. He went on to play 15 seasons in the NFL for seven different teams. Let's get on, Peterson. Jesus.

And Red. What's the first thing? Let's get his headshot. Oh, yeah. First, we need Ritz headshot up here, man. I forgot about you, man. About the headshot. I didn't forget about you.

I forgot about the headshot. So let's get your big ass up there. And let's get this smooth criminal, Adrian Peterson up here as well. Put those side by side. One of the best running backs to play the game. But what's the first thing you think of, of Adrian Peterson? Why did you pick him? I think an AP, I remember everybody I called him AD all day, AB.

And I just remember him in Oklahoma. Oh, my God. When I was coming up playing ball, I'm watching this guy running Oklahoma. And I just remember as a running back, like how aggressive, downhill and violent he ran. Like, you just didn't want to be in his way. And so as a running back, me, that's what jumped out to me on his film. and I always kind of like to say I tried to pattern my game after that.

Like I just wanted to be somebody that you didn't want to tackle for four quarters. And AP was really that guy. I think for the years that he was on in college and the pros, when he was healthy, he was electric, man. He was electric. Have you guys ever hung out?

I bumped shoulders with him a few times. I had a friend of mine who was a real close with AP. Yeah. And I think it was my second year after I ran for a lot of yards. He got AP to sign something and has a picture and it's still in my house

to this day because that was my favorite running bat and he actually signed it and gave it to me but no I hadn't had a chance to sit and kick it with AP for a period of time

I'd love to do that though just to pick his brain because he was he set the bar back of the day I'd have to say he was like explain how dominant he was at Oklahoma

I think back to those days what was like Reggie Bush was kind of doing this thing Reggie was arguably the best football player in college football history but both of them

same position to night and day different running backs. 1,000%. So when I think of AP, AP was that guy that really just wore a defense down. Like you knew, everybody knew in the ballpark,

he was getting the rock, and you couldn't stop him. So for a running back to really have that dominance, as long as he did, and then people know that he's the stud, he's the man that they have to stop for that game, and they couldn't stop him

for how many years, 15 in college, and four in, I mean, 15 in the pros and four in college, that's two decades right there. So for me, I tip my hat and I say, it's hard to say, who's better? What are the few traits that makes him so good in your eyes? His explosiveness. His explosiveness, him being able to finish a run,

and then the physicality he played with. And I could tell that, you know, he definitely was your favorite running back because that's kind of the way that you molded your game as well, Red. You were explosive off the line of scrimmage. You were a physical guy. It was hard to take you down. You plowed through defenders.

Not one guy was tackling you, just like Adrian Peterson. So that's cool, man. That's really cool that you get to look up to him and mold your game after him as well. And now we're here talking about him here on dudes on dudes. Well, what's your, you said two unbelievable running backs in college football. And you could argue both in pro. Certainly, AD, Reggie had a really good career as well. But college football Mount Rushmore of running backs.

Reggie's up there top, for sure. But what's the college? What's the Mount Rushmore? You get four. Top four. Top four in college? All time. Ooh.

So we're going, I'm going to go Reggie. Reggie's out there. I'm going to say AP. He said those two. I will go, I was younger, but I remember watching these boys down in Miami. Willis McGahey. Willis McGahey? I remember William Smith.

McGahey. And Clinton Ford is his junior year. You're going Clinton, Fortis, too. That's your four right there. I don't know if that be the, but like. What about, what about Barry Sanders who won a Heisman? That was before my, you know, Barry was a little bit before my time. Like, he was there, but it's like, who did I watch?

So we're talking to your era. Like, my era that I, I, actually. Ricky Williams. I was, that was the next guy I was about to say, Ricky was nasty in Texas, man. I mean, Ricky Williams was a fucking load. Yeah. So when I think of backs like that, and even Cedric Benson, you all remember him back in these were the guys that I like watch.

So when I see the game now, it's like to be a running back, you got to be like a fifth or six receiver, catching a rock off the backfield. Well, back when I was coming up, we're banging it out with linebackers that are 250, 260. You know what I mean?

So you had to be a bull. And when I think of a bull and like dogs in between the tackles, Reggie did something that no back can do. AP. I would have Ricky up there as well. I would. And who are going for the fourth?

I would say, go McGahey, man. McGahey was nasty. Of course, ACO, though, remember? He did. They did. I tore mine twice. You know, I kind of going to look at guys that had to dig deep and come back.

We know what it takes. College. So you have who? Reggie. Reggie. AP. AP. Ricky Williams.

Ricky Williams. I'd say that our, McGahey or Clinton Porter. Both of those boys were people who are like love. Let's go McGahey then. All right. So these are the Mount Rushmore's of Stephen Ridley, people that he watched at Running Back. Yes, yes.

Pattern my game off of, watch film, before I was even watching film. These are guys I was looking at, like I want to be like that when I get older. That's a solid four. AP, dude, he ran for 2,000 yards after an ACL. He was eight months out.

Okay, it's not human. No. That's like not, that was like the, I remember that being the first time someone came back that fast after the ACL and had success. Production. He was legit probably, like, it's kind of like when the first person to break the, what, four-minute mile. And then after that, like, 17 people did it in that very next year. But no one in the feet of time could beat it until that one person.

And right after that, a year later, like 15 or whatever number amount of people beat it because someone did it. It's like the first time someone went eight, eight months. Now that's like the standard. That's standard, yeah, yeah. Because it is. An ACL recovery blew it out is normally like a nine-month recovery. You know what I mean?

I didn't feel good until 18. And it takes time. But, you know, some guys come back and do it a little quicker. But for him at the running back position and then how he was dominating before the ACL and then came back and did that the very next year, that don't never happen again, man. Because they literally put the load on them, right, fresh off surgery. Most times they try to slow play you and let you come up. on back and get healthy.

Back in the day, they were like, hey, P, feed them. You know what I mean? So he was... I mean, he rushed or he tears his ACL. He toured in December, toured in December. Wow. Lately see. He comes back and gets 2,097 yards, 13 touchdowns.

6.3, a carry, nine months after ACL MCL. And he's the last running back to win MVP. Which is right. Still? Yeah. Still. Off of that season. Off of that season.

I mean, if anyone was going to do it, it would be, it would be Sequin this year. There's one, last year. One trade as well that we haven't talked about, and it's his vision. He can see down the field. He can see defenders coming out and make him miss. That's what makes him such a great running back as well. Strength. With his physical traits and his strength, obviously.

But he runs upright, which is what you really don't see out of a running back. And that's what you're not taught growing up as a kid. It's always have, you know, your shoulder. shoulders down over have your pads over your knees he runs straight up right but he's such a physical freak of nature that when a guy's come at him and he's so fluid he can just put his pads down at the last second and the defender wasn't expecting that and that's what gets him that that little advantage of that unexpected of him putting his pads down and lowering his shoulder and just trucking the guy in front of him and that's why he was so hard to tackle it as well

because he can run upright, have the vision, be able to get in full-speed stride, but then have the athleticism or be able to juke and just put his pads down faster than and then you've seen anyone else do it at the running back position. I mean, he was a freaking, to me, it was just like a horse out of a stable, bro. Like he just, like his gate and how aggressive he really used to run. And like you say, most running backs, that's what they want you. They want you, know, tuck down and low. But AP was like, man, you let him out the gate.

It's a home run. You know what I mean? And if you come to him, you're getting punished. But it was, he was just a, he was a, he was a, he was the guy. Week 8, 2007 versus San Diego Chargers, Minnesota wins 35 to 17. Adrian Peterson rushes 30 times per 296 yards. In the league. Three touchdowns broke off a 61-yarder and beat the previous record holder by Jamal Lewis,

who had a 295 yard game in 2003, which I, remember that game when he was with the Ravens. Like that's insane. 30 touches in the NFL, y'all. When do you see that now, you? I wonder how many touches he, for a while, like, average during his career. 20 plus. I'm talking like throughout a whole season. Like, I would say by the game. I would say AP was probably touching when he was really rolling back a day. He was getting that ball 15 and 25 times a game. You don't see that much often. Ever. Now. Ever. You know, you got a lot of these two-back systems. You got to keep the guys healthy. Yeah.

This is crazy. And for him to do it how he did, but that's like where we look at it. It's like, man, if we had like going back to us playing back in the day, we would have to have like a serious injury to our offense, you know, like tight end down, two of our receivers down that we really have to lean on the run game where somebody's going to really get the ball 20 to 30 times a game. You'd always rotate it, try to keep a guy fresh, try to prolong your team and keep us healthy going to the back end.

But that's that old school ball that we grew up watching. That's how the running backs had to get it out, you know, back in the day. it was 20 to 30 carries and you owed the team 100 to 150 yards. Look at how many carries you had throughout right there. Those are all the carries as years. 238 carries, 363 carries, 314 carries, 283 carries, 283 carries, 208 carries, 348 carries, 279 carries, got banged up, 21 carry season, 3277 carries. Then it starts getting a little, you know.

Look at how that, that's a lot of carries. But look at those first one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, let's say the first ten, nine years, nine, ten years. Look at those numbers. And that's in how many games, that's a how many game season? 16. He's toting. Hello.

Like you said, he's a stabled horse. Hello. Bro, like, and he was, and he was that guy. I mean, everybody wanted to be, if you wanted to be a powerback, that's who you were watching. I mean, it was, he was, he did things that nobody else could do in the game. I was in Pittsburgh, my senior year. when he was drafted, you know, top 10 into the NFL. And I would go to the, you know, other high schools when we were playing basketball

into their arenas. And everyone was wearing Adrian Peterson, Jersey. Even being in Pittsburgh with the Steelers there, I've seen an Adrian Peterson, Peterson, at least 10 different other places that I was playing at. There would be like one or two kids in the crowd with Adrian Peterson. AP Jersey on. You know, AP Jersey on. It just shows, well, you know, what type of player he was,

even in the Steel City, people were representing AP because that's how big of a beast he was as a player. He was the NFL at one point. He really was. He was the face of the NFL. And it was like everyone wanted to be a running back to it as well when he was in his prime, prime coming out of college and in the NFL. Remember at the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State with the Statue of Liberty game where Boise beat him? Is that when Boise State beat? And then that's when Boise State.

Yeah, they beat. With the Statue of Liberty player. Yeah, that's the play. Yeah, I remember that play. I remember that. The guy, I remember the running back. He proposed to his girlfriend right after? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

I do remember that. But I didn't realize that. If he had two tugs in that, I mean, he was a monster at Oklahoma. Time, we got to determine what kind of dude this guy is. All right. Ridd, your guest, out of the types of dudes we have, what kind of dude is Adrian Peterson?

Is he a stud? Is he a freak? Is he a dog? Is he a whiz? or is he a dude's dude and why? Mm-hmm. I mean, yeah, he's a stud, freaking dog and all that. But, I mean, Rick, you can only pick one category that he represents the most.

Okay. I'm going to have to say, you got to give him. Give him that purple, man. He's a freak. Mm-hmm. He's a freak. He's a once-in-a-generation player. I mean, he really is.

Why? Because I don't think you're going to see as many people with the breakaway and the physicality. and do it for the duration that he did it, college and pro, with that label on his back. And everybody knew it. Like, name somebody else who was that dominant. College and pros.

We just saw it for 10 years. We know he did it four years in college. And had the ACL came back the next year and do like, come on, man. That's a freak. That's a freak. And on top, it looks like a freak of nature, too. I mean, his biceps are just popping out of his arms. Manikin.

Fricking veins just all over to play six. back. He's a frizzle chest. Chisel legs as well. You don't want those problems. That's a freak of nature. You don't want that. So on three, gronk, one, two, three, freak.

Thanks for listening. Catch brand new episodes of dudes on dudes on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and everywhere else you get your podcasts. And if you enjoy this, here's a snippet of an episode I think you'll love.

Emmett Smith. Amit's pregame ritual included eating two packs of peanut M&Ms making him one of the most efficient candy-fueled athletes ever, man. Now that might be the most impressive thing about his career.

And I wonder if he ate those peanut M&Ms on Thanksgiving Day after Thanksgiving dinner or if he indulge into some like pumpkin pie instead or some apple pie with some ice cream and whipped cream with a cherry on top. Or did he love those peanut Amin'ams that much that he wanted sacrifice even on Thanksgiving. What do you think?

I think it was probably, it became a superstition thing early on. I mean, running backs in their candy. You got Marshon with Skittles. You got Emmett Smith, peanut Evan M's. I mean, it is what it is. These guys are sometimes, like, most of the time, the running backs specimen that just needs fuel and they can eat anything they want because they run in and getting blown up all day.

And they're touching the ball a lot. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg, a lesbian, Michael Mancini.

My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is love trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season 2 podcast.

This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumpbright became the victim of a random crime. The perpetrator was sentenced to 99 years until a confession changed every day. I was a monster. Listen to Burden of Guilt Season 2 on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Good people. What's up? What's up?

It's Questlove. So recently, I had the incredible opportunity to have a real conversation with actors and producer, Jamie Lee Curtis, from routines to recovery, true lies, and a certain Jermaine Jackson music video. Jamie's real and raw. And it's something I really admire about her. I am so happy that I'm the head bitch in charge at 67, that I have the perspective that I have at my age to really be able to put all of this into context. Listen to the Questlove show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ready for a different take on Formula One? Look no further than No Grip, a new podcast tackling the culture of motor racing's most coveted series. Join me, Lily Herman, as we dive into the under-explored pockets of F1, including the story of the woman who last participated in a Formula One race weekend, the recent uptick in F1 romance novels, and plenty of mishap scandals and sagas that have made Formula One a delightful, decadent dumpster fire for more than 75 years. Listen to No Grip on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's go! Our IHeart Radio Music Awards are coming back. Thursday, March 26th, live on Fox. Watch as we honor the biggest stars from all genres of music that you loved listening to all year long on your favorite IHeart Radio station and the IHeart Radio app. Hosted by Ludacris. Icon Award recipient John Mellencamp. Innovator award recipient. Miley Cyrus. With performances by Alex Warren, Kalani, Lainey Wilson, Ludacris, Ray, TLC, Salt and Pepper, and Invoke. Taylor Swift makes her first award show appearance this year.

Nicole Scherzinger, Nikki Glazer, Sombor, Weiser, and more. Watch live on Fox Thursday, March 26th at 8.7 Central. And listen on IHeart Radio stations across America and the free IHeart app.