Anybody who has followed the NFL for long enough has heard the stories about Adrian Peterson. The future Hall of Fame running back is considered superhuman by many. A man who doesn’t operate by the rules of normal people. Coming back from a shredded knee to run for over 2,000 yards and win league MVP? That is superhero stuff. Perhaps one of the most infamous stories people tell about him is his handshake.
Multiple people have said Peterson has the strongest handshake in the NFL and it’s not even close. Kenny Mayne of ESPN called it “devastating.” Peter King of NBC Sports admitted he had to make sure his fingers were still attached after making the mistake of doing it twice. As it turns out, former Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett encountered it once at his birthday party in 2013.
He told the story on ProStyle Media.
“After entering the party, Adrian made his way to the VIP section, greeting friends and family members. After speaking to friends, Adrian approached me and shook my hand, saying “Thanks for allowing me to attend the party.” I responded, “My pleasure, thanks for stopping in.” Adrian would make his way through the crowd and have a good time, but I notice my hand was in pain.
Adrian’s handshake was so firm that it felt like he broke my hand. Not only that, partygoer/friend Willie Taylor, from P Diddy Group Day 26, approached me and said “Dog, I lift weights EVERYDAY, but did it feel like he almost broke your hand cause I feel like I need to work on my grip more.” I could not agree more with Willie.”
Adrian Peterson, love him or hate him, was a monster
The reality is Peterson is the sort of physical specimen that comes around maybe once in a generation. His strength wasn’t brought about by tireless weightlifting or artificial enhancements. It was all-natural. A gift of genetics. Him squeezing that hard wasn’t done out of malice or an attempt to prove something. The guy clearly just didn’t know his own strength at times. Bennett became one of many victims of that.
