Facing Fears
FORMER EAGLE PUBLISHES AUTOBIOGRAPHY
When Adrian Peterson (’01) struggled to give a speech in front of his snickering classmates in elementary school, he probably never would have imagined someday being a voice for others. Through the years, Peterson’s determination to overcome obstacles with stuttering led to his share of victories and he has turned his disability into a successful career as an award-winning athlete. The former Georgia Southern University running back and NCAA Division I career leading rusher is now encouraging others facing life challenges through his new autobiography Don’t Dis My Abilities.
The book brings attention to Peterson’s ongoing challenges with 
stuttering, the embrace of the Georgia Southern community, and standing in faith through his infant daughter’s medical crisis. In his autobiography, Peterson hopes to encourage readers to push past their own self-doubt and face their fears in order to realize their potential, something that he has done his entire life.
“As a young kid, my mom and dad noticed that I was not speaking a lot, but they never allowed me to give up,” he said. And while most kids would have shied away from public speaking, Peterson never had the opportunity. “My parents made me do the same things that everyone else did, and that included giving Easter and Christmas speeches,” he said.
“AP” as he is known by his fans, recently returned to the campus’ University Store for a special book signing, where he was greeted by a large crowd of excited supporters of all ages. “Georgia Southern is home, and the fans and the community really embraced me,” he fondly remembered about his years on campus.
Peterson began his extraordinary career at Georgia Southern in 1998, breaking records and breaking athletic boundaries. “The Run” — Peterson’s 58 yard run in the 1999 Division I-AA Championship game against Youngstown State — is legendary in the eyes of the Eagles faithful. Peterson, however, is modest about that accomplishment. “Although ‘The Run’ is something I get a lot of credit for, it’s a team effort. No one coach or one player can win a championship by themselves,” he added.
During Peterson’s collegiate career, his honors included SoCon Freshman of the Year (1998) and the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year (1998, 2001). He was the first sophomore to win the 1999 Walter Payton Award, helping lead the Eagles to two national championships and a third title game appearance, and was also named a four-time consensus All-American.
Peterson’s accomplishments also led to his recognition as the College of Health and Human Sciences Alumnus of the Year and his induction into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame and the Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame.
After graduation, Peterson was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2002, spending eight seasons with the NFL team, including the 2006 NFC Championship season and Super Bowl XLI. He played one season with the Virginia Destroyers in 2011 and re-joined the Bears through a coaching internship program this past summer.
Through the years, Peterson has found that living by the three P’s — pray, perform and persist — on a daily basis, keeps his life in perspective.
“You have to ask for prayer, keep performing and be persistent every day. That’s my life when I wake up every morning,” he explains about the inspiration behind these words. Those words, in fact, kept the athletic great focused just two years ago after the birth of his daughter Amelia. Peterson and his wife, Angela — also parents to sons AJ and Aaden — discovered the newborn had only one functioning kidney. “Thankfully she is o.k. now and isn’t taking any medications,” he revealed about the medical crisis, also detailed in his book. Since the release of his autobiography, Peterson has hit the road for book signings as well as inspirational talks to students ranging in age from elementary to high school. “Some kids go into a shell and don’t speak at all because it hinders them,” said Peterson, about stuttering. I give speeches and encourage kids, because we never know what their situations are,” he added. “We all have our setbacks. Whatever society sees as a disability, you can still be successful. It’s been a long road, but I never gave up.” –
– Mary Beth Spence
ON SALE NOW
The hardcover edition of Don’t Dis My Abilities is available for $23.99 at the University Store at gsustore.com. Signed copies are also available. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will fund a scholarship at Georgia Southern.