Even as a high school prospect, Adrian Peterson was seen as a special, generational running back and most coaches were willing to do anything it took to get him to sign with their team – everybody except Texas Longhorns coach Mack Brown.
During an interview this week, Adrian Peterson revealed that he wanted to go to Texas after growing up a Texas Longhorns fan. But Mack Brown is the reason why he ultimately signed with Oklahoma instead.
“For the people finding themselves mad at me going to Oklahoma, this is what I would say,” Peterson said via On3. “If you’re going to be mad at anybody, be mad at Coach Mack Brown.”
According to Peterson, he chose not to sign with Texas after Brown told him he would not be able to compete for the starting running back spot.
“I sat in Coach Brown’s office,” Peterson said. “And I asked him the same thing I asked everyone else. ‘Coach Stoops, will I have the opportunity to come in and compete?’ ‘Yeah, sure.’ Pete Carroll. ‘Will I have the opportunity to come in and compete for a starting job if I come?’ “Yeah.’ Nick Saban.
“Mack Brown? ‘If I come here, will I have the opportunity to come in and compete for the starting job?’ He was like ‘Well, Adrian, I’m not going to lie to you. Cedric Benson, he decided to come back for his senior year. So, we’re going to be loyal to him and we’re going to let him ride it out. But after that, you can compete for it.’ I said ‘Okay, appreciate it’ and that was it. I never told him that I wasn’t coming. But that was the decision I made based off that.”
It’s safe to say Brown might regret that decision.
[On3]