[3] Adrian Peterson was a two-time all-state, all-area selection and team MVP at Santa Fe High School in Alachua, Florida where he rushed for 4,949 yards during his prep career to earn All-America honors from ESPN and Blue Chip Illustrated.

He finished his career, not including the playoffs, with 6,559 rushing yards, a Division I football record, and won the Walter Payton Award in 1999.

[2] On September 29, 2012, Peterson was inducted into the Georgia Southern hall of fame in a ceremony held during halftime at Paulson Stadium.

In January 2014, College Sporting News announced that the FCS Offensive Player of the Year Award will be named after Peterson.

Peterson was the team's second leading rusher during the season, and even went on to score a touchdown during the NFC Divisional game against the Carolina Panthers.

He received occasional playtime as running back, but played a versatile role on the Bears' special teams.

[12] However, first string running back Cedric Benson sustained a season-ending injury on November 25, against the Denver Broncos.

[13] During the same game, Peterson scored his second rushing touchdown of the season, when he powered into the endzone despite being enveloped by several Bronco defenders.

[15] When the Bears drafted Matt Forte and brought in Kevin Jones, Peterson saw little to no action at running back.

On February 13, 2018, Peterson returned to Georgia Southern as director of student-athlete development for the football team under Chad Lunsford.