Oklahoma Legend Adrian Peterson: Texans Can 'Be Mad at Coach Mack Brown'

During his acceptance speech upon induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco on Saturday night, Peterson explained why he matriculated from Palestine, TX, to Norman, OK, and spent three years breaking records at OU before launching a pro career that will ultimately land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I know there’s a lot of Longhorns and Aggies in here, and Bears,” Peterson said. “But the No. 1 question I get is, ‘Why did you go to Oklahoma? Why did you leave the state?’ ”

Peterson said he remembers going to Texas games as a kid to watch his uncle play for the Longhorns, and he told himself, one day he would be back on the Forty Acres wearing burnt orange.

“I was Texas all the way,” he said.

But when the time came and he was on an official visit, it was Brown who changed his thinking on being a Longhorn.

“If you’re gonna be mad at anybody,” he said, “be mad at coach Mack Brown.”

Peterson said he asked all the coaches who recruited him — Bob Stoops, Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, and Brown — if he would be allowed to compete for the starting job as a true freshman.

All told him he would. Except Brown.

“He was like, ‘Well Adrian, you know, I’m not gonna lie to you. Cedric Benson, he decided to come back for his senior year and we’re gonna be loyal to him. We’re gonna let him ride it out. But after that, you can compete for it.

“I said, “OK. I appreciate it.’ And that was it.”

Benson won the Doak Walker Award as a Texas senior in 2004, while Peterson set the NCAA record with 1,925 rushing yards, scored 15 touchdowns, and helped lead OU to the national championship game.

Of course, it worked out for both programs. The following year, Brown and the Longhorns rode the magic of Vince Young to the 2005 national championship.

“That was the decision I made based off that,” Peterson said.