If you we impressed with Adrian Peterson’s epic run at Eric Dickerson’s all-time rushing record, imagine this—Peterson put up his 2,097 regular-season yards without a shoe endorsement.
In an era ruled the Nike Vapor Talon Elites and the adidas adiZero 5-Stars of the world, it’s hard to imagine a pro football player without a branded pair of cleats, let alone a player the caliber of AP. Peterson, who last wore a pair of Nikes when he tore his ACL in 2011, made the switch to adidas this season (although he did seem to have worn a pair of black Vapor Talon Elites against the Packers in the final game of the regular season). Unfortunately for both adidas, however, Peterson was forced to mask up the logo on his cleats because of Nike’s newly-gained status as official sponsor of the NFL.
Despite coming up short on the all-time rushing mark, Peterson had a truly memorable season, one that carried his team to a surprise playoff birth. After his MVP-type performance, it’s a safe to assume that Peterson will inevitably get a shoe deal this offseason.
Look for AP’s taped up cleats this Saturday, as the Vikings take on the Packers again, this time in the opening round of the NFL Playoffs.
