The Oklahoma running back announced Monday he will forgo his senior season with the Sooners and enter the NFL draft.
The kid has made his decision, so it's time to just leave him alone. Right?
Wrong.
Now is when advice carries its utmost importance.
Peterson family members certainly have shared their thoughts. OU coach Bob Stoops has chimed in at Peterson's request. Peterson's friends and teammates no doubt have voiced their opinions.
But what should Peterson do next? Get an agent? Prep for next month's combine? Work out locally, or with a draft specialist? Start studying for the Wonderlic Test?
With the 2007 NFL Draft now 101 days away, Peterson needs some outside insight.
He needs an observer with no ties to family or school; a person with extensive experience in college football and the NFL; someone who has dealt closely with a dynamic running back who entered the NFL draft early; a person who has seen the NFL draft from the outside looking in, and from the inside looking out; someone who has welcomed sports agents and also chased them away.
Peterson wouldn't even have to go outside state lines to find a qualified candidate.
It's a Tulsa man by the name of Pat Jones, who coached in college 21 seasons, coached in the NFL 10 seasons, and now is spreading his gospel on local radio airwaves.
Much of Jones' advice is common sense, but many a draft choice has stumbled from January until draft day by doing nonsensical things.
The aspects Jones stressed most:
• There is no rush to hire an agent.
"If you've got an agent, always remember the agent works for you, you don't work for him,” Jones said. "If you haven't got an agent, don't feel compelled to rush into anything. You've still got time.”
• Behave yourself.
"Everything you do will be scrutinized incredibly close, and I do mean everything,” Jones said.
•Keep your nose clean, literally.
"Anybody who messes with a drug of any kind is asking for trouble,” Jones said. "Cocaine has shown up in tests at the combine and cocaine usually flushes out of your system in 24-48 hours. That shows you that somebody hasn't got a lick of sense. You've got to really have a problem with a drug if you do that. You need to be up front with anything you might have done, because you don't want it showing up in a test later.”
• Quality workouts leading up to the NFL combine.
"You need to be in as great a shape as you can possibly be going into that combine,” Jones said. "Individual workouts (with NFL teams) are better, but not necessary. You get more exposure with the team if you do it at their place. That way, everybody can be there.”
• Know who you are.
"The main thing is to just be yourself,” Jones said. "You don't want to be an actor. Those private interviews have gotten so much to where they're scripted, you almost lose sight of who you are because you've been prepped so much. Just be yourself.”
• Ignore rumors.
"Regardless of what you hear, no one knows what's going to happen (in the draft),” Jones said. "Literally, no one knows. Your agent doesn't know. A coach doesn't know. A GM (general manager) might have a pretty good idea, but no one really knows. Until that pick comes up, there's no telling what's going to happen.”
• Be open-minded.
"Don't get caught up in this deal of, ‘Oh, gosh. I hope I go here' or 'I hope I go there,' ” Jones said. "Wherever you go, you embrace that city, embrace that staff, embrace that organization. I don't care if you don't even know where Oakland is, you sell it as the greatest town ever.”
In the end, it came down to business for Peterson 01/16/2007 NORMAN – Oklahoma tugged at Adrian Peterson's heart. Peterson's mind, however, felt the pull of the NFL. Waging a wrestling match between the two, finally...
