MINNEAPOLIS — Donning his purple No. 28 jersey for the first time in nine months, Adrian Peterson said Tuesday he had apologized to the 4-year-old son he struck with a wooden switch and had “learned a lot from my mistake.”
Peterson returned to the Vikings and practiced for the first time since September. He then told reporters he has met all the requirements that came from pleading no contest to a misdemeanor that caused him to miss the final 15 games of last season.
“I made a mistake,” Peterson said. “I know a lot of people don’t view it that way based from what they’ve seen, but ultimately that’s what it was. My son knows that, he knows I love him. And my other kids know the same.”
Peterson was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list last September after he was charged with felony child abuse in Texas.
He has gone through counseling and therapy sessions as part of his plea agreement and had several supervised visits with his son to monitor how the two interacted. Peterson said he has learned that the form of discipline he used was no longer acceptable and now he uses other punishments like timeouts and taking toys away when it is warranted.
“I made a mistake. I’m not taking it lightly at all. It’s something that I regret,” Peterson said. “My son knows that and the people that truly know me and know my character and know what type of person I am when I’m with my kids, around my kids, they know that as well. Really to me, that’s the only thing that matters.”
Peterson was the only player absent from the voluntary practices last week, prompting speculation that a prolonged holdout could be in the works.
“I love all my kids with all my heart,” Peterson said. “I’ll run through a brick wall for them. I’ll jump in front of a car for them. That’s the type of love I have for my kids.”
Thumbnail photo via Bruce Kluckhohn/USA TODAY Sports Images
