Comeback Player of The Year-or-MVP? Or Maybe Greatest of All Time?

Every generation has this-once-in-a-lifetime player. Every team wishes they could have a player that could change the outcome of a game with just a simple hand-off. Fans still reminisce about Walter "sweetness" Payton career, and fans still debate whether Barry Sanders could have become the greatest running-back of all time if continued to play. In 2012 people are debating about whether Adrian Peterson is the comeback player of the year or the most valuable player or MVP.

Peterson who started this season less then nine months removed from ACL surgery, is tearing up the league. Peterson is leading the National Football League with 1,128 rushing yards, and is on pace to crush his career yards in a season of 1,760 set back in 2008. Peterson is already the Vikings all-time rushing leader, which was held by Robert Smith who ended his career with 6,818 yards.

Hypothetically if you could create a Mount Rushmore of the best running backs in NFL history, most people would carve Walter Payton, Emmit Smith, Jim Brown, and Barry Sanders on the face of the mountain; but if Peterson continues to bash his way through the NFL, they might have to expand the Mount Rushmore.

Not only has Peterson defied modern medical surgery, and rehab, but he continues to run through defenses that stack eight, or nine in the box; because the Vikings offense has no passing attack. When Percy Harvin his sidelined, defenses go right after Peterson.

2012-best-story might go to Peyton Manning, because of his comeback from four neck surgeries, and joining a new team; but Peterson is right behind him. Whether Peterson is even eligebale for the Comeback Award, because Peterson only missed four games last season, should not disminnish what Peterson has done on the gridiron this season.

Peterson is beating defenses that are solely locked in on him, and Peterson still says he is not fully back from his surgery; which is scary for every NFL team that goes up against him. Adrian has thrown the Vikings on his back, and is trying to run to the playoffs. The Vikings will need Peterson to stay healthy in the second half of the season if they want to even think about the playoffs.

The next six games for the Vikings will be critical with four games against the Green Bay Packer, and the Chicago Bears, and two games against Houstan Texans, and Saint Louis Rams. The Vikings will have to go 4-2 if they even want to talk about the playoffs.

Vikings fans should be grateful that they can witness greatness wearing Purple, and Gold every Sunday; because in the NFL nothing is certain, and running-backs have a short life expectancies in the NFL. No player knows when their career will end, and Peterson career won't last forever, so for now fans should be celebrating that a true NFL star is wearing number 28 for the Minnesota Vikings, and might someday be inducted into Canton.