Adrian Peterson may not be what he once was but getting the chance to train with him should always prove valuable. That’s what Knile Davis got to do during the offseason.
He made that comment responding to a questionnaire on Steelers.com, noting Peterson is his idol.
“I would say Adrian Peterson,” Davis wrote. “I got a chance to work with his [sic] this offseason for the first time. I learned a lot from him. It was cool training with my idol. I had been a fan of his since I was little. I watched him play in Palestine, Texas, at OU, in Minnesota. Just throughout his career I watched him and to get to work with him was cool.”
Davis and Peterson are both from Texas, where high school football is basically king. Peterson then moved on to have a stellar career at Oklahoma, turning that into the 7th overall pick of the 2007 draft. Davis’ career wasn’t as successful but he still wound up as a third round pick four seasons ago.
Peterson may be in the twilight of his career, hoping to capture a little bit of magic with New Orleans, but is in great shape and certainly passed down some valuable insight to Davis. For what it’s worth, Todd Haley talked up Davis during OTAs, though I don’t know if that came before or after his training with AP.
Like many players who have answered the question, he says the Steelers are still known for their tough style and strong ground attack.
“Tough. Tough and a recipe for success. They have done it. There is a good team in place. I just think of toughness and successful.”
Davis will be counted on to be the team’s starting kick returner and ideally, #3 running back. But with James Conner hampered by a hamstring injury during the spring, and still being an unknown rookie, it’s possible Davis works as Le’Veon Bell’s backup. In the preseason, Bell is expected to be limited, meaning Davis could soak up plenty of reps to show his training with Peterson has paid off.
