By Nicholas Navaro
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/vikings/2013/10/11/adrian-peterson-son-critical-condition/2966015/
"A 2-year-old son of Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson died on Friday in a Sioux Falls, S.D., hospital, the victim of alleged abuse by a man dating the boy's mother, police confirmed.: (USAToday)
As if posting one of the greatest seasons in NFL history only a year after ripping his left knee didn't quite indicate just how strong Adrian Peterson is, the way he's handling this horrid tragedy just might.
"Thank you to my family, my fans and fans of other teams for their support. The NFL is a fraternity of brothers and I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls and text messages from my fellow players. God Bless everyone and thank u so much," Peterson wrote on Twitter in reaction to the out-pour of athletes and less-famous citizens alike.
Maybe it really hasn't hit him yet. Or perhaps Adrian Peterson truly is superhuman. But the class and levelheadedness that the star player is displaying is something that seems like only Peterson himself is powerful enough to do. The positive stance he has taken since the news hit is something that will be remembered every time his name is brought up long after his career his come to it's Hall of Fame end.
It's one thing to be such an difference maker on a football field that the nickname "All-Day" just doesn't do the man justice, but to exemplify that courage and strength while facing daunting adversity off of it is something that goes way beyond any record or stat. Unfortunately, it always takes disasters such as this that ultimately brings the sports community together. They remind all of us that, at the end of the day, football is just a game--no matter who you root for.
So, in a way, it is fitting that Peterson will don the Vikings uniform this upcoming Sunday and go to work with a heavy heart. From an X's and O's standpoint, I personally feel sorry for anybody on the Carolina Panthers who gets in his way. To anybody who questions just how much of an impact Peterson can have, just ask Brett Favre the night after his father passed, or Torrie Smith after his brother's tragic death.
But if there is one beautiful thing that will be taken away from all the talk about this horrible story, it will be the the fact that on Sunday, everybody will be an Adrian Peterson fan. Even the Panthers.
