Purple Jesus: Four Year Hall of Famer Question Mark?

Here at Purple Jesus Diaries we’ve spent a lot of this week espousing how fantastic this blog’s namesake is, thanks in part to Purple Jesus himself being named the third best player in the NFL EVER!! Or something like that.

What also was of note this week was Scout.com’s article which highlighted all of the records that Purple Jesus is about to shatter with an iron, purple fist this season and likely beyond. I’d like to not cop out on a Friday post and just copy and paste a bunch of information (Just kidding, don’t care), but the number of records that are about to be shit on is just astounding. We’ll start with this:

• Through only four seasons, Peterson is already third on the all-time franchise rushing list with 5,782 rushing yards. He trails Chuck Foreman by just 97 yards for second place – and Foreman played seven years for the Vikings. He is 1,036 yards behind Robert Smith for the franchise record of 6,818 yards, which took him eight years to accumulate. At his current pace, by the time Peterson has played eight seasons, he would have 11,564 rushing yards. As it currently stands, only 15 rushers in NFL history have rushed for more yards than that.

Oh, that’s not too bad I guess. That Chuck Foreman guy was decent I guess, and Robert Smith is someone I think I’ve heard of. But that’s not all. Not all at all.

From the rest of the article:

• Peterson has played four seasons in the NFL. In the 51-year history of the Vikings, his first four years represent four of the top five individual rushing seasons in franchise history.
• His 52 rushing touchdowns through his first four seasons already ties him for the franchise lead. His next one will let him surpass Foreman and Bill Brown.
• In four years, he has 24 100-yard rushing games. He is on pace to set the franchise record this year – Foreman holds the record with 29.
• He has 10 runs of 50 yards or more, only two behind the franchise record – yet another record he is on pace to set in 2011.
• He has rushed for more than 100 yards in the first half of games 10 times. Every player in the history of the Vikings combined has done it six times, and Smith (who did it twice) is the only player who did it more than once.
• He shattered the franchise record for being the quickest to 5,000 yards, accomplishing the feat in just 51 games. Foreman held the old franchise mark at 68.
• Peterson has scored 10 or more rushing touchdowns in each of his first four seasons. Only eight other players have ever accomplished that in team history and Foreman (who did it twice) was the only other player to do it more than once.
• In Vikings history, there have been five games in which a running back has rushed for 180 yards or more. Four of them have been from Peterson – 180, 192, 224 and an NFL-record 296 yards. Foreman has the other big day (200 yards vs. Philadelphia on Oct. 24, 1976).
• While Peterson is on the verge of breaking several team records, one he won’t break soon is rushing attempts. He is fourth all-time in franchise history with 1,198, which leaves him 213 behind Smith, 331 behind Foreman and 429 behind Bill Brown.
• A.D. has scored a touchdown in 35 games, leaving him currently in third place all-time – one behind Foreman and seven behind Brown.

• In the four years he has been in the NFL, no running back has had more rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total yards from scrimmage, points scored and rushes of 10 or more yards.
• In his first four seasons, the only players in the history of the NFL that have more rushing yards are Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell, Terrell Davis, Clinton Portis and LaDainian Tomlinson.
• His current pace of 94.8 yards rushing per game trails only Jim Brown and Barry Sanders.
• Peterson reached 5,000 rushing yards in just 51 games. The only players who did it in fewer games were Dickerson, Campbell, Jim Brown and Davis. His 52 rushing touchdowns through his first four seasons trail only Davis, Campbell, Dickerson and Tomlinson in league annals.
• Through four seasons, Peterson has rushed for 1,300 yards or more and scored 10 touchdowns three times. Only two other players have ever done that – Campbell did it four times and Sanders did it three times. Peterson was two rushing yards short of doing it for the fourth time in 2010.

This is god damn outrageous. The fact that we just found out this week that Purple Jesus is the THIRD best player in the NFL is just retarded. The fact that Peyton Manning is rated ahead of him is ridiculous. He’s got to play for like 15 more years to beat our Favre as a better quarterback, and Favre sucks. Purple Jesus? He’s the best running back ever RIGHT NOW. On any made list, he should be the infinity best player, best player Alpha, the black hole of best players. Number one doesn’t even do him justice. He’s Hall of Fame material right now. Let him retire tomorrow (JUST KIDDING! PLEASE GOD DON’T!) and then place him in the Hall tomorrow. Within the hour, even. He’s like the Jerry Rice of Hal candidates. And he’s a Viking. Just outstanding.

So keep this all in mind this weekend, as we apparently near a labor resolution between the NFL and the NFL Players Association and get closer to some real football. Just think, in 2011 you’ll get to see a Hall of Fame running back in his prime, taking his time shattering records and female pelvises. Just a delight.