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INNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson spent half an hour after a recent practice listening to stories about a topic he knows all too well: rehabilitation. As his teammates shuffled off to lunch and early afternoon workouts, Peterson chatted with Jack Jablonski, a local high school junior who is bound to a wheelchair after sustaining a devastating injury in a hockey game. Peterson beamed as Jablonski detailed the improvements he has made in his recovery, such as the ability to move his arms and legs just enough to excite his own doctors. It was the kind of news Peterson had been eager to hear ever since he became connected to Jablonski nearly a year ago.

Peterson is the NFL's hottest story right now because of how he has thrived on the field after shredding the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee on Dec. 24, 2011. He's the type of person who motivates somebody like Jablonski, whose spinal cord was damaged by a vicious hit six days after Peterson's injury. By now, every NFL fan knows about the incredible season Peterson has carved out just 12 months after an injury that changes most running backs forever. What they don't know is how much he values interactions with people such as Jablonski. "He told me I inspired him," Peterson said. "I'm inspired by what he's done."

It's not surprising that Peterson can be so humble in a moment that was arranged to benefit a courageous teenager. He has always been the antithesis of what we've come to expect from our superstars. Peterson isn't big on bravado or self-promotion, and he rarely shies away from answering a tough question. His performance this season, which has accounted for 1,898 rushing yards through 15 games -- only has reinforced everything about him that is impressive. Along with having an opportunity to break Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season rushing record, Peterson is hurtling toward the kind of season that will likely be remembered for decades.

Of all the impressive single-season records in league history, nothing compares to what Peterson will have done if he surpasses Dickerson's record of 2,105 yards. Not the 31 touchdowns San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson scored in 2006. Not the 5,476 yards New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for last season. And not the 1,892 (and counting) receiving yards Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson has amassed this year.

None of those players faced the odds that Peterson has battled in 2012. In short, we may be witnessing the best individual season by any NFL player ever.

Peterson's bid to topple Dickerson's mark was hurt when he rushed for only 86 yards on 25 carries in a win over the Houston Texans this past Sunday, leaving him 208 yards shy of breaking the record. Still, if anyone is up to the task, it's Peterson. He already owns the NFL's single-game rushing record of 296 yards, and he has rushed for 200-plus yards in a game four times in his career, including twice in the past four games.

On Sunday, he will go for the record when the Vikings play host to the Green Bay Packers, against whom he rushed for 210 yards against in Week 13.

But even in light of a severe knee injury and arduous rehabilitation process, Peterson isn't stunned to be making a run at history. "I'm not surprised by what I'm doing because I'm always shooting for the moon and reaching for the stars," he said. "Even when I got hurt, I had the mindset that I'd be back this season."

But Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier thinks otherwise. "When you put it all together, it's hard to find anything that compares to this," Frazier said. "We all know how devastating an ACL injury is, but to come back fast and play at a high level? I don't know what comes close to that. Adrian is dominating the position, and he's making waves across the entire league."





Adrian Peterson shredded Green Bay for 210 yards in Week 13. He'll need a similar performance Sunday to top Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing mark. Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Peterson's success has been mind-blowing enough that the debates about the league's most valuable player and comeback player of the year awards should be anticlimactic if Minnesota makes the playoffs. While Denver's Peyton Manning has been splendid in his return from a neck injury that required four operations and cost him the entire 2011 season, he hasn't done what Peterson has done. Peterson has averaged 155.4 rushing yards over the past nine games. He has thrived behind an inconsistent second-year quarterback (Christian Ponder), an offense that has lost its top receiver to injured reserve (Percy Harvin) and against defenses who know exactly what's coming (he has gained a stunning 932 yards after contact this year). Manning, no matter how you assess it, has had substantially more help around him this season.