The new stadium in downtown Minneapolis was as much as Peterson's as anyone's, so before its first regular-season game Adrian Peterson knelt in the end zone and prayed for what he had done.

In September 18, 2016, even before the day he joined the Washington Redskins, back when he was still the Minnesota Vikings' superstar running back and the most valuable player in the franchise's recent history. The opening of U.S. Bank Stadium derived from seasons of his pounding through tacklers in search of a dream.

For years, the Vikings had fought a great battle to replace the Metrodome just to the east of the city's downtown amazing skyscrapers, before eventually winning a deal with the state to build the $1.1 billion stadium.

The time when final agreement came months before Peterson would win the NFL's 2012 MVP award with 2,097 rushing yards, he felt as if his preceding six seasons of soaring dominance had helped wrest the last, indefinable political votes.

Adrian Peterson of Washington Redskins said a few days before returning for the game against the Vikings that he helped build that stadium. The place's good vibes definitely helped the team win that game. For Peterson, it wouldn't matter even if the meniscus in his right knee tear that opening night or that trainers would oddly carry him through a field-level bar because it was the quickest way to the locker room or that he would play only two more games in U.S. Bank Stadium. The one as a Viking and one the next year as a New Orleans Saint. All he reminisced three years later was that he prayed.

Adrian Peterson kneels before all his games, but this one was totally different. He was on his knees for almost 15 minutes that Sunday night thankful for the opportunities to do what he was about to. He felt that bursting happiness and personal triumph just playing in that stadium. He stared through the stands, up the great wall of windows that extended to the sky and toward the soaring half roof. As he did, he recalled about all that had gone into getting the stadium built - the seven Pro Bowl seasons in what would be a one decade Minnesota career, the three hastening titles, the drives to get to that Super Bowl that kept avoiding him.

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He was talking to God during those moments in the empty end zone. He said he was talking to Him about the stadium and where he came from - in the Metrodome and two years at the University of Minnesota and how both of them were able to be there at the end. He was just very thankful of everything.

He was talking to God during those moments in the empty end zone. He said he was talking to Him about the stadium and where he came from - in the Metrodome and two years at the University of Minnesota and how both of them were able to be there at the end. He was just very thankful of everything.