Patrick Peterson
Encyclopedia
Patrick De'mon Peterson (born July 11, 1990) is an American football
cornerback
for the Arizona Cardinals
of the National Football League
. He was drafted fifth overall by the Cardinals in the 2011 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Louisiana State
.
in Pompano Beach, Florida
, where he played running back
and defensive back
. In his junior campaign he recorded 11 total touchdowns on offense, while recording seven interceptions and 54 tackles on defense. He also returned three kick-offs for touchdowns and added 10 rushes for 213 yards. As a senior, Peterson compiled 733 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns (9 rushing, one kick return and one punt return). Defensively, he had 21 tackles and five interceptions.
Besides numerous All-American team selections, Peterson was named “Defensive Player of the Year” by USA Today
. He also participated in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
.
A consensus five-star prospect by all major recruiting services, Peterson was rated as the nation’s fifth best overall player by Rivals.com
and No. 8 by ESPN
. Prior to his senior season he verbally committed to play for the University of Miami
, but continued to look at other schools. By November 2007, Peterson had reopened his recruiting process and acknowledged interest in Georgia
, USC
, Florida
, and LSU. He later dropped Georgia and USC from his list and added Florida State
, but eventually announced his decision to attend LSU at the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
win over Georgia Tech
. Peterson finished the season with 41 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups, while also adding a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.
. In a game against standout wide receiver A. J. Green
of Georgia, Peterson was able to hold Green to just four catches.
By mid-season Peterson tied for fourth in the league with seven passes defended, and was named the SEC's "Most Improved Player" by ESPN's Chris Low.
Another highly-anticipated match-up occurred when Peterson went against Julio Jones
of Alabama. Peterson's LSU Tigers were ranked 9th in the country and traveled to face Nick Saban
and the #1 ranked Crimson Tide. The Tigers were down by six points late in the fourth quarter when Peterson stepped in front of a pass from Greg McElroy
to Julio Jones for what seemed like an interception. Multiple CBS
camera angles showed that Peterson was able to get at least one foot in bounds. However, even after review, the SEC officiating crew called the pass incomplete, saying that Peterson was not able to get any foot in bounds. Alabama would go on to kick a field goal on that drive and won 24–15. The missed interception call quickly became infamous and was debated by many media outlets.
Peterson finished 2009 with 52 tackles. His 43 solo tackles were second on the team behind linebacker Kelvin Sheppard
. Peterson returned an interception for a touchdown against Mississippi State
, and he returned a blocked field goal against Ole Miss
for a touchdown. He was also named a 2009 Second-Team All-American by The Sporting News, a 2009 First-Team All-SEC performer by ESPN, and a 2009 Second-Team All-SEC performer by the AP.
, and the Chuck Bednarik Award
. It was announced during the summer of 2010 that Peterson would begin returning punts and kickoffs due to his size, speed, and athleticism. With this added dimension to his game, and his dominance as a cornerback, Peterson began being mentioned as a dark horse
for the 2010 Heisman Trophy award, presented to the best college football player every year. Only one defensive player has ever won the Heisman Trophy, Charles Woodson
.
Peterson began his Heisman campaign against North Carolina in the 2010 Chic-fil-a Kickoff. The Tigers won 30–24 and Peterson was terrific. In his debut as a returner, Peterson had a school-record 257-yards returning punts and kickoffs, 244-yards coming in the first half. He returned a punt 87-yards for a touchdown and consistently gave the Tiger's offense good field position. His 257-yard performance ranks second all-time in the SEC behind Mississippi State's
Nick Turner and his 266-yard performance. Peterson was named Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. He was also named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week.
Peterson had two punt returns against Vanderbilt
for 8-yards in week two as the Tigers rolled past the Commodores. He also returned two kickoffs for 51-yards, to go along with one tackle.
In week three of the 2010 season, the 2–0 Tigers hosted 1–1 Mississippi State for LSU's first home game of the year. The Tiger defense suffocated Mississippi State's offense and Peterson strengthened his campaign with two acrobatic interceptions for LSU. He also returned one kickoff 39-yards and one punt 2-yards to go along with four solo
tackles.
Peterson entertained the home crowd again in week four against Top-25 foe West Virginia
. With the game tied 0–0 early in the first quarter, West Virginia went to attempt a mid-range field goal that would have silenced the raucous crowd in Death Valley, however Peterson was able to leap from behind the line of scrimmage and block the kick. The Tiger defense forced West Virginia to punt later in the half. Peterson fielded the punt on his own 40-yard line and raced 60-yards up the middle of the field for a touchdown and a 17–0 LSU lead. Peterson struck the Heisman pose in the North end zone of Tiger Stadium
, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but putting the Tiger faithful into a frenzy. Peterson was almost single-handedly responsible for 10 points in the game that ended with LSU winning 20–14.The national sports media began comparing Peterson to Woodson, who actually had worse statistics than Peterson through his first four games during his Heisman winning season. Peterson was again named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week. He also recorded 1 solo tackle.
Week five saw the LSU Tigers take on the Tennessee Volunteers
. Peterson and the LSU defense limited Tennessee to 217 yards of offense and the Tigers won 16–14. Peterson recorded 1 solo tackle and 3 assisted tackles. He had 3 punt returns for 30 yards and 3 kickoff returns for 64 yards. The LSU Tigers improved to 5–0 and 3–0 in the SEC.
Peterson's efforts have helped the Tigers to a #12 ranking in the Assosciated Press Top 25 as well as a #9 ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25. Through week 5 of the 2010 season, he is 3rd in Division 1-A in punt return average at 23.6-yds per attempt (12–283), 1st in punt return touchdowns with 2, and 22nd in kickoff return average at 28.2-yds per attempt. Peterson is also tied for 30th in the country with two interceptions. He is currently in the top five of most straw polls regarding the 2010 Heisman Trophy. In an effort to jumpstart the struggling offense for the Tigers, Peterson has begun practicing as a wide receiver
and a running back
on offense. He may even take some snaps out of the wildcat formation. When Charles Woodson won the Heisman, he too played offense at times, scoring three offensive touchdowns. Peterson looks to further strengthen his impressive resumé as the 9th-ranked LSU Tigers take on Florida in Gainesville, FL
on Saturday, October 9 at 6:30 CST on ESPN.
Later in the season he was named first team All-American and first team All-SEC.
Statistic Guide – GS = Games Started, GP = Games Played, UA = Unassisted Tackles (Solo), A = Assisted Tackles, TFL = Tackles For Loss, INT = Interceptions, INT-YDS = Interception Return Yards, INT – TDS = Interception Returned for Touchdown, AVG = Average yards per Interception, FR = Fumble Recoveries, FF = Fumble Forced, PR – ATT = Punt Return Attempts net of Fair Catches
, PR – YDS = Punt Return Yards, AVG – Average Return yards per Attempt, PT – TDs = Punts Returned for Touchdowns, KR – ATT = Kickoff Return Attempts, KR – YDS = Kickoff Return Yards, AVG = Average yards per kickoff return attempt, KR – TDs = Kickoffs Returned for Touchdowns.
in the 2011 NFL Draft
. Peterson signed four year contract with undisclosed terms.
On his first NFL play, in a preseason game on Sat., Aug. 27, 2011, Peterson intercepted Philip Rivers
and returned it for a touchdown.
Peterson scored his first touchdown on a Cardinals record 89-yard punt return late in the 4th quarter to put Arizona ahead for good as they beat Cam Newton
's Carolina Panthers 28-21 in week 1 on September 11, 2011.
Peterson scored his second touchdown on a 82-yard punt return late in the 2nd quarter to extend Arizona's lead over the Ravens in week 8 on October 30, 2011.
Peterson took it to the house in overtime on November 6, 2011 against the St Louis Rams. Peterson fielded a punt at the one yard line and scored on a 99 yard return to win the game.
In the same game, Patrick Peterson intercepted a Flea-Flicker pass from Sam Bradford, intended for Brandon Lloyd.
He currently is tied for the single season record for punt return touchdowns with four. He tied it against St. Louis on November 27, 2011.
, Walter McFadden
, Sinorice Moss
and Santana Moss
(his maternal cousins).
Peterson's younger brother, Avery Johnson is a member of the ESPNU
150 Watch List. Johnson is LSU's first commitment for the Class of 2012. Johnson is a wide receiver with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami-FL, Michigan, North Carolina, USC, Central Florida and Memphis.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted fifth overall by the Cardinals in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Louisiana State
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
.
Early years
Peterson attended Blanche Ely High SchoolBlanche Ely High School
- Sports :-External links:* -- Official web site...
in Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
, where he played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
. In his junior campaign he recorded 11 total touchdowns on offense, while recording seven interceptions and 54 tackles on defense. He also returned three kick-offs for touchdowns and added 10 rushes for 213 yards. As a senior, Peterson compiled 733 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns (9 rushing, one kick return and one punt return). Defensively, he had 21 tackles and five interceptions.
Besides numerous All-American team selections, Peterson was named “Defensive Player of the Year” by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. He also participated in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
.
A consensus five-star prospect by all major recruiting services, Peterson was rated as the nation’s fifth best overall player by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
and No. 8 by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Prior to his senior season he verbally committed to play for the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, but continued to look at other schools. By November 2007, Peterson had reopened his recruiting process and acknowledged interest in Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and LSU. He later dropped Georgia and USC from his list and added Florida State
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, but eventually announced his decision to attend LSU at the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Freshman season
One of the most decorated high school players to ever sign with LSU, Peterson played 13 games as a true freshman. He started the final four games of season, including the Chick-fil-A Bowl2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl was the 41st annual edition of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It pitted the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against the Louisiana State Tigers in a postseason American college football game in Atlanta, Georgia...
win over Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. Peterson finished the season with 41 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups, while also adding a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.
Sophomore season
In his sophomore season Peterson emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. In a game against standout wide receiver A. J. Green
A. J. Green
Adriel Jeremiah "A. J." Green is an American football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was selected fourth overall by the Bengals in the 2011 NFL Draft...
of Georgia, Peterson was able to hold Green to just four catches.
By mid-season Peterson tied for fourth in the league with seven passes defended, and was named the SEC's "Most Improved Player" by ESPN's Chris Low.
Another highly-anticipated match-up occurred when Peterson went against Julio Jones
Julio Jones
Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons with the sixth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide...
of Alabama. Peterson's LSU Tigers were ranked 9th in the country and traveled to face Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
and the #1 ranked Crimson Tide. The Tigers were down by six points late in the fourth quarter when Peterson stepped in front of a pass from Greg McElroy
Greg McElroy
Gregory McElroy, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama....
to Julio Jones for what seemed like an interception. Multiple CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
camera angles showed that Peterson was able to get at least one foot in bounds. However, even after review, the SEC officiating crew called the pass incomplete, saying that Peterson was not able to get any foot in bounds. Alabama would go on to kick a field goal on that drive and won 24–15. The missed interception call quickly became infamous and was debated by many media outlets.
Peterson finished 2009 with 52 tackles. His 43 solo tackles were second on the team behind linebacker Kelvin Sheppard
Kelvin Sheppard
Kelvin Anthony Sheppard is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills drafted him with the 68th pick in the 3rd round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU....
. Peterson returned an interception for a touchdown against Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
, and he returned a blocked field goal against Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
for a touchdown. He was also named a 2009 Second-Team All-American by The Sporting News, a 2009 First-Team All-SEC performer by ESPN, and a 2009 Second-Team All-SEC performer by the AP.
Junior season
Patrick Peterson entered his junior season as a nearly unanimous selection to every preseason All-American team. He was named to the preseason watch lists for the Nagurski Award, the Thorpe Award, the Ronnie Lott Award, the Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
, and the Chuck Bednarik Award
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
. It was announced during the summer of 2010 that Peterson would begin returning punts and kickoffs due to his size, speed, and athleticism. With this added dimension to his game, and his dominance as a cornerback, Peterson began being mentioned as a dark horse
Dark horse
Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.-Origin:The term began as horse racing parlance...
for the 2010 Heisman Trophy award, presented to the best college football player every year. Only one defensive player has ever won the Heisman Trophy, Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
.
Peterson began his Heisman campaign against North Carolina in the 2010 Chic-fil-a Kickoff. The Tigers won 30–24 and Peterson was terrific. In his debut as a returner, Peterson had a school-record 257-yards returning punts and kickoffs, 244-yards coming in the first half. He returned a punt 87-yards for a touchdown and consistently gave the Tiger's offense good field position. His 257-yard performance ranks second all-time in the SEC behind Mississippi State's
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
Nick Turner and his 266-yard performance. Peterson was named Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. He was also named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week.
Peterson had two punt returns against Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
for 8-yards in week two as the Tigers rolled past the Commodores. He also returned two kickoffs for 51-yards, to go along with one tackle.
In week three of the 2010 season, the 2–0 Tigers hosted 1–1 Mississippi State for LSU's first home game of the year. The Tiger defense suffocated Mississippi State's offense and Peterson strengthened his campaign with two acrobatic interceptions for LSU. He also returned one kickoff 39-yards and one punt 2-yards to go along with four solo
tackles.
Peterson entertained the home crowd again in week four against Top-25 foe West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
. With the game tied 0–0 early in the first quarter, West Virginia went to attempt a mid-range field goal that would have silenced the raucous crowd in Death Valley, however Peterson was able to leap from behind the line of scrimmage and block the kick. The Tiger defense forced West Virginia to punt later in the half. Peterson fielded the punt on his own 40-yard line and raced 60-yards up the middle of the field for a touchdown and a 17–0 LSU lead. Peterson struck the Heisman pose in the North end zone of Tiger Stadium
Tiger Stadium (LSU)
Tiger Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is best known as the home stadium of the Louisiana State University football team.Tiger Stadium opened with a capacity of 12,000 in 1924...
, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but putting the Tiger faithful into a frenzy. Peterson was almost single-handedly responsible for 10 points in the game that ended with LSU winning 20–14.The national sports media began comparing Peterson to Woodson, who actually had worse statistics than Peterson through his first four games during his Heisman winning season. Peterson was again named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week. He also recorded 1 solo tackle.
Week five saw the LSU Tigers take on the Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
. Peterson and the LSU defense limited Tennessee to 217 yards of offense and the Tigers won 16–14. Peterson recorded 1 solo tackle and 3 assisted tackles. He had 3 punt returns for 30 yards and 3 kickoff returns for 64 yards. The LSU Tigers improved to 5–0 and 3–0 in the SEC.
Peterson's efforts have helped the Tigers to a #12 ranking in the Assosciated Press Top 25 as well as a #9 ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25. Through week 5 of the 2010 season, he is 3rd in Division 1-A in punt return average at 23.6-yds per attempt (12–283), 1st in punt return touchdowns with 2, and 22nd in kickoff return average at 28.2-yds per attempt. Peterson is also tied for 30th in the country with two interceptions. He is currently in the top five of most straw polls regarding the 2010 Heisman Trophy. In an effort to jumpstart the struggling offense for the Tigers, Peterson has begun practicing as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
on offense. He may even take some snaps out of the wildcat formation. When Charles Woodson won the Heisman, he too played offense at times, scoring three offensive touchdowns. Peterson looks to further strengthen his impressive resumé as the 9th-ranked LSU Tigers take on Florida in Gainesville, FL
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
on Saturday, October 9 at 6:30 CST on ESPN.
Later in the season he was named first team All-American and first team All-SEC.
College Statistics
| Patrick Peterson – #7 – CB/PR/KR – LSU Tigers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Classification | GS | GP | UA | A | TFL | INT | INT-YDS | INT-TDs | AVG | FR | FF | PR – ATT | PR – YDS | AVG | PR – TDs | KR – ATT | KR – YDS | AVG | KR – TDs |
| 2008 | Freshman | 13 | 13 | 32 | 9 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2009 | Sophomore | 13 | 13 | 43 | 9 | – | 2 | 37 | 1 | 18.5 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2010 | Junior | 11 | 11 | 23 | 10 | 1.5 | 4 | 134 | – | 25.3 | – | – | 25 | 418 | 16.7 | 2 | 25 | 688 | 27.5 | – |
| Career Totals | 37 | 37 | 98 | 28 | 3.5 | 7 | 171 | 1 | 16.6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 283 | 23.6 | 2 | 9 | 254 | 28.2 | - |
Statistic Guide – GS = Games Started, GP = Games Played, UA = Unassisted Tackles (Solo), A = Assisted Tackles, TFL = Tackles For Loss, INT = Interceptions, INT-YDS = Interception Return Yards, INT – TDS = Interception Returned for Touchdown, AVG = Average yards per Interception, FR = Fumble Recoveries, FF = Fumble Forced, PR – ATT = Punt Return Attempts net of Fair Catches
Fair catch kick
The fair catch kick is a rarely used rule in some forms of American football that allows a team, after making a fair catch of an opponent's kick, to attempt a field goal freely from the spot of the catch. It is one of the three types of free kicks; the other two are the kickoff and the safety kick...
, PR – YDS = Punt Return Yards, AVG – Average Return yards per Attempt, PT – TDs = Punts Returned for Touchdowns, KR – ATT = Kickoff Return Attempts, KR – YDS = Kickoff Return Yards, AVG = Average yards per kickoff return attempt, KR – TDs = Kickoffs Returned for Touchdowns.
2011 NFL Combine
Peterson ran the second fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine at 4.34 seconds. He tied for the third best vertical jump among DB's at 38 inches. He did this all being one of the biggest cornerbacks at the combine at 6' and 219 lbs.Arizona Cardinals
Peterson was selected fifth overall by the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. Peterson signed four year contract with undisclosed terms.
On his first NFL play, in a preseason game on Sat., Aug. 27, 2011, Peterson intercepted Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
and returned it for a touchdown.
Peterson scored his first touchdown on a Cardinals record 89-yard punt return late in the 4th quarter to put Arizona ahead for good as they beat Cam Newton
Cam Newton
Cameron Lemark Newton is a former American football safety. He played college football at Furman University, then played two seasons in the NFL, one each for the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. He was cut from the Panthers before the 2007 season...
's Carolina Panthers 28-21 in week 1 on September 11, 2011.
Peterson scored his second touchdown on a 82-yard punt return late in the 2nd quarter to extend Arizona's lead over the Ravens in week 8 on October 30, 2011.
Peterson took it to the house in overtime on November 6, 2011 against the St Louis Rams. Peterson fielded a punt at the one yard line and scored on a 99 yard return to win the game.
In the same game, Patrick Peterson intercepted a Flea-Flicker pass from Sam Bradford, intended for Brandon Lloyd.
He currently is tied for the single season record for punt return touchdowns with four. He tied it against St. Louis on November 27, 2011.
Personal
Peterson went by the last name "Johnson" when he signed with LSU, but formally changed it to "Peterson" in August 2008. His parents are Patrick and Shandra Peterson of Fort Lauderdale, FL. He is a relative of NFL players Bryant McFaddenBryant McFadden
Bryant McFadden is an American football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.McFadden has also played for the Arizona Cardinals...
, Walter McFadden
Walter McFadden
Walter McFadden, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, Sinorice Moss
Sinorice Moss
Sinorice Travonce Moss is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Moss played college football at the University of Miami....
and Santana Moss
Santana Moss
Santana Terrell Moss is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:...
(his maternal cousins).
Peterson's younger brother, Avery Johnson is a member of the ESPNU
ESPNU College Football
ESPNU College Football is a promotion of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football on ESPNU...
150 Watch List. Johnson is LSU's first commitment for the Class of 2012. Johnson is a wide receiver with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami-FL, Michigan, North Carolina, USC, Central Florida and Memphis.