The Minnesota Vikings have had two great running backs in their history: Adrian Peterson and Chuck Foreman.

Foreman, 64, who retired after the 1980 season, has watched Peterson, 30, closely at training camp in Mankato, Minn., and subsequent practices in Eden Prairie. After missing all of last season except an opening game victory over St. Louis due to suspension for reckless assault of his 4-year-old son, Peterson returns to the field against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., on “Monday Night Football.”

Foreman predicts a big game for Peterson.

“You don’t forget how to run,” Foreman said. “And with all the things that have happened in the past year, Adrian’s just ripping ready to go. I look for him to have a big, big, big, big night.”

What’s a big, big, big, big night?

“At least 150 (yards),” Foreman said.

By the way, Foreman has a son, Anthony King-Foreman, who is a 6-foot-3, 232-pound junior starting defensive end for the University of St. Thomas.

Among all active NFL players, Peterson has the most rushing yards, 823 in eight games, in season openers, and also leads with 10 Week 1 TDs.

The last time the Vikings opened their season on the road against San Francisco, in 1966, the game ended in a 20-20 tie in front of 29,312 spectators. On Monday night at Levi’s Stadium, attendance will be a sellout of 68,500.

Especially amped for his first chance to play with Peterson is new Vikings wide receiver Mike Wallace.

“It’s going to be special, fun; not too many guys get to play with a guy like that,” Wallace said. “The play-action should be pretty sweet. Just his presence is going to open it up for everybody.”

Meanwhile, Wallace and Peterson each contend, good naturedly, that they’re the fastest player on the team.

Wallace, a half-inch over six feet and 203 pounds, says that Peterson regularly challenges him to race. But Wallace said a more fitting race for Peterson would be to take on fellow wideout Charles Johnson.

“Those two would be a heck of a race,” Wallace said. “I’m in a league of my own.”

Johnson, 6-2, 220 pounds, ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at his pro day workout. Wallace said he ran a 4.3.

“But mine was at the (NFL scouting) combine — that’s a big difference,” Wallace said. “It’s a joke to even think that (Johnson) is faster.”

Wallace said he would take on Johnson in whatever length of race he wants.

“Loser’s choice; he gets to pick, because he’s going to lose anyway,” Wallace said.

Said Johnson, “I always say I’m the fastest, but we’ll never know unless we have a race. Mike thinks he’s the fastest guy in the world.”

Wallace is 29 years old. Is he still as fast as he was when he was younger?

“Definitely,” he said. “Hopefully, I can show it on Monday.”

Vikings backup running back Jerick McKinnon predicted Peterson will be “real good” against the 49ers.

“His speed, his power, if not the same, has been better since he came back,” McKinnon said.

Peterson autographed pictures are for sale for $99 by a national sports memorabilia firm. An autographed 49ers jersey of QB Colin Kaepernick, whom the Vikings face Monday, is for sale for $149.

On Thursday, the final steel beam will go into the roof of the Vikings’ new $1.2 billion stadium, which is 70 percent completed and set to be fully enclosed by November. In the stadium’s interior will be “Club Purple,” a Las Vegas-style lounge with 1,200 seats and couches that likely will be a fantasy football headquarters.

The Vikings say they have sold nearly 41,000 of 49,000 private seat licenses for their new 66,000-seat stadium totaling slightly more than $105 million, and they expect to achieve their goal of $125 million in license revenue. There will be about 12,000 seats not requiring private licenses.

The Vikings are mandated by the state legislature to keep 3,200 seats per game available for purchase at 80 percent of the lowest-priced ticket. For instance, at $50, 3,200 would have to be offered at $40 apiece.

Seth Green, the 6-4, 215-pound former East Ridge QB who transferred to Allen (Texas) High for his senior year, passed for three TDs and ran for two more in his team’s 56-20 victory over Viera (Fla.) last week. Allen, who has committed to Oregon, plays in a $60 million, 18,000-seat stadium.

Hall of fame former Twin Rod Carew, who has seven career holes-in-one, was to speak at the Morrie Miller Athletic Foundation banquet on Saturday in Winona, then play in the foundation’s golf tournament on Sunday.

Ex-Twin Anthony Swarzak, 29, is 4-4 with a 5.12 earned-run average for the Doosan Bears in Seoul, South Korea.

New Hill-Murray Athletic Hall of Fame electees: Jim Wold, John Goebel, Les Larson, Mary Godfrey, Anne Gorde and Andy Persby.

“Jumping Jim” Brunzell has a book signing of his insightful and entertaining pro wrestling “Matlands” on Sunday at Mancini’s Char House from 5 to 7 p.m.

Eden Prairie’s Quarterback Institute training facility will get airtime on the NFL Network’s “Undrafted” at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Highland Park sophomore Lee Froelich, 15, representing the First Tee of St. Paul program, will be among 81 participants at the Nature Valley First Tee Open at famed Pebble Beach, Calif., on Sept. 25-27.

Meanwhile, Camille Kuznik, 12, who competed in the national Drive, Putt and Chip contest at Augusta National this year, won the Burl Oaks women’s golf club championship by 23 strokes, shooting 160 over 36 holes.

DON’T PRINT THAT

Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen spent some time in the offseason in Scottsdale, Ariz., working out with the sparring partner of ex-Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, who, by the way, this season is moving to outside linebacker with the Chicago Bears.

“He’s got a sparring coach that we boxed with,” Griffen said.

Griffen and Allen didn’t box each other, though. Griffen said he’s “all right” as far as sparring and uses it to improve his football technique. The 6-3, 273-pounder said he wouldn’t care to box for a living.

“I play football for a living,” he said. “My plan after football is to take care of my kids and not worry about nothing.”

Griffen was asked if the 6-6, 265-pound Allen could become a heavyweight champion.

“No he couldn’t — he thinks he could, but he couldn’t,” Griffen said. “That’s a different life.”

Vikings wideout Jarius Wright, owner of a new $14.8 million contract, said he has no immediate purchases in mind, including an automobile upgrade.

“I’m just going to let the money ($7 million guaranteed) sink in right now and just be happy,” he said.

Wright already owns two cars — a Mercedes and a F-250 Ford pickup truck.

If he were to consider a new car?

“Have you seen the new BMW i8s?” Wright said.

Those start at $136,500. I told Wright those are out of my league.

“They’re out of my league, too,” he said.

Vikings second-year wideout Charles Johnson, on lockering next to running back Adrian Peterson: “I’m sitting next to a future hall of famer. He’s a great pleasure to sit by. He’s not some guy who thinks he’s better than anybody else — he’s going to talk to you and be friends with you, no matter if you’re a practice squad player or starter on the team. That’s just the way he is.”

As late as two weeks ago, the Timberwolves still believed Flip Saunders would be able to coach this season despite his treatment for cancer.

The Twins have gone from 50-to-1 odds last month to win this season’s World Series to 33-to-1 this month, according to Bovada-Las Vegas.

The Vikings have gone from 50-to-1 in April to win this season’s Super Bowl to 28-to-1 in September.

Joe Mauer’s brother Jake, the manager at the Twins’ Class A Cedar Rapids, Iowa club, is expected to end up with the major league club at Target Field this week to help with workouts.

Zach Moore, the 6-6, 290-pound former Concordia-St. Paul defensive end, will be paid $6,600 per week as a member of the Vikings’ practice squad.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to be in a NFL locker room, period,” Moore said. “If you’re good, they’ll find you.”

The Twins say to forget the rumors that WCCO-AM will end up with their broadcasting rights next season.

It appears former St. Thomas Academy baseball coach Tony Cicalello will be the new baseball coach at Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

OVERHEARD

New Vikings wideout Mike Wallace, on why he’s eager to start the season after going against his team’s defensive backs in practice: “We see the same defenses every day, and we all know the defense cheats, so it’s harder to go downfield.”

Follow Charley Walters at twitter.com/ Charley_Walters. He can be reached at cwalters@ pioneerpress.com.