Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson gave fans a taste of what training camp is like by wearing a helmet-cam over the weekend. Peterson also shared his support for a new NFL rule, which requires backs to wear thigh and knee pads. His argument? He wore the pads and still won the NFL MVP award.
Helmet cameras are becoming popular this year in training camp. The Vikings, along with teams like the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, are among clubs experimenting with using the footage as a new means to assess players.
Minnesota released the footage from Peterson's helmet-cam, giving fans a taste of what it's like to be in the shoes of an NFL MVP.
The league, meanwhile, is implementing a new rule to keep players safe. The NFL is mandating this season that all players wear thigh and knee pads. A player not properly padded would be removed from the field and unable to return until properly padded, according to Fox Sports.
Peterson is one of the few NFL players to vocally support the NFL's new rule. He disagreed with the argument that the rule will make a player slower.
"I'll call BS on that," Peterson told Fox Sports. "It's like, 'You're a National Football League Players. If a pad that doesn't weigh but a couple ounces slows you down, you don't need to be playing in this league.' Like, come on now. Seriously.
"Guys like to be pretty, not wear the thigh pads and knee pads, but it protects you. There have been plenty of times I got in my knee and when I had my pants pulled up too high and that pad wasn't there to protect it. It didn't feel good. So I make sure I keep my pads pulled down and covering my knee just to be able to protect my body."
He isn't shy about advocating the pads to his teammates, either.
"The guys who are around me know: 'Shoot, Adrian wore every pad there is - elbow pads, forearm pads.' They're surprised I don't have a neck roll on," Peterson said. "Yeah, man, I tell those guys and try to lobby to those guys like Percy (Harvin) when he was here, 'Hey man, put those knee pads on, put those thigh pads on. You don't want to get any thigh contusions and thighs like that you can avoid by wearing those pads."
Wearing pads isn't a big deal, according to Peterson. He wore the pads all last season and has a league MVP award to show for it.
