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NFL great Patrick Peterson was not a fan of politics in sports during his illustrious 13-year career.
Peterson, 35, played from 2011-2023, and said he felt the political discourse that took place in locker rooms was not only unnecessary but also uninformed.
“I’m not letting politics dwindle its way into how I’m trying to get my team prepared to beat the Cincinnati Bengals or the Pittsburgh Steelers or whoever it may be. I just felt like it was unnecessary,” Peterson told Digital in a recent interview.
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Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson laughs after a flag was thrown on him during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“And again, in my opinion, it’s not a place for guys who play football or sports in general. Eighty percent of (players in the NFL) have no idea what’s going on in politics. For me, I always run my own lane and stay in my own game.”
The eight-time Pro Bowler said that political discussions with teammates became more frequent as his career went on. Peterson even said that politics eventually became part of team meetings.
“(Politics) crept into a lot of team meetings,” Peterson said. “Which I felt like, in my opinion, was unnecessary. Like, yes, we have a voice. Yes, we have an obligation. But if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing on the field, which is your livelihood and what’s keeping lights on in your household, that’s kind of like outside noise to me, especially in the field of work that we’re in.”
“Like that has nothing to do with us. Yes, we can do that on our own time. We’re focusing on at this given time is winning ball games.”
The Arizona Cardinals selected Peterson with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of LSU, and he spent the first 10 seasons of his career in the desert. The three-time All-Pro then spent two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before finishing his career with one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson defends against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Nov. 13, 2022. (Mark Konezny/USA TODAY Sports)
He recalled a game in 2017 when the Cardinals played the Dallas Cowboys and they all locked arms before the game in response to President Donald Trump calling on owners to fire players who knelt for the national anthem. Peterson said the conversations about politics started to become more prominent in 2016.
Peterson was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010’s. In 201 career games, Peterson recorded 36 interceptions, 122 pass deflections, 652 total tackles and four sacks.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native will be playing in the American Century Championship from July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe.
Peterson said the event has evolved tremendously over the years,and said it’s something that his whole family enjoys.
“My girls look forward to going to Lake Tahoe each and every year to not only walk with dad, but to go out on the lake,” Peterson said. “Go on top the mountain and doing the zipline and things like that. So, the memories that they’re able to create for the families that are involved are countless.”
Peterson is using AI to help improve his golf game and prepare for the American Century Championship.
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Arizona Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson runs on the field during a game at State Farm Stadium on Dec. 9, 2018. (Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“I’m using this app called Performance Golf. It’s basically a app that you can download on your phone, and you can basically have a AI coach,” Peterson said.
“You can video yourself, you can use any club, any swing, putter, wedge, chip, pitch, driver, irons, whatever you need that you need help in or want to see better results in, you can video yourself, submit the video, and then what’ll happen is the AI coach will tell you what your flaw is what you need to work on to have better results. And I’ve been using it for the last four months and it’s helped my game tremendously.”
The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
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