Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was already going through a grueling rehab from a torn ACL in his left knee. But a dish of jambalaya almost took him out.
Peterson said he is not allergic to seafood, but he had to suspend his rehabilitation because he had a bad reaction to the meal.
“Like 20 minutes after I ate, I went to lay down and felt my throat itching and my ears itching and all of a sudden my face swelled up. I couldn’t breathe out of my nose,” Peterson said.
He called head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman, who rushed to his room in the team’s residence hall with a doctor to help stabilize him. They stuck him with an “EPI” pen so he could breathe better, before he was taken to the hospital.
Peterson is awaiting blood tests to determine the source of the allergy.
OK now, Peterson was at practice Tuesday. For lunch, he passed on the jambalaya and had hot dogs.
Meanwhile, Peterson has been asking the team to allow him to practice with the rest of the team. His goal is to be in uniform for the September 9 opener. But the team is taking it easy with its star running back. He is on the physically unable to perform list and restricted doing drills with Sugarman on the side.
But Peterson is clear about when he would like to be back on the field.
“I definitely want to play a preseason game, and that’s the only way to get back to normal,” Peterson said. “Going out there and cutting and dodging guys and playing football. Getting back out on the field. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to do that.”
About the opening game on September 9. “I feel like I will be ready to play. There’s still time,” he said.
