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Minnesota Vikings

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Vigil Held For Adrian Peterson's Son Near Metrodome

In a place where cheering and rallying are usually heard outside the Metrodome was silent for a candlelight vigil Saturday night. "We just feel really bad about the situation and we want to just support Adrian and his family," said Megan Tamkey from Minneapolis. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's 2-year-old son died Friday, allegedly from child abuse by his mother's boyfriend. "I was devastated," Teddie McKinley from Roseville said. "I couldn't believe it."

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Adrian Peterson Has Dealt With Tragedy Often

When Adrian Peterson was 7, he saw his older brother die in a bike accident when he was hit by a drunken driver. For Peterson's teenage years, his father was in prison. He grew up poor in east Texas. Shortly before the Minnesota Vikings drafted him in 2007, a half-brother, was shot and killed. Long before Peterson began running through the NFL record book, he learned to turn tragedy into fuel for an exceptional career. Football has always been his escape, and now he's dealing with more off-the-field strife.

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Freeman Signing Further Muddles Minnesota QB Group

Minnesota's quarterback this weekend will be Matt Cassel or Christian Ponder, not Josh Freeman. If Ponder has healed from his broken rib, Coach Leslie Frazier said, he will return as the starter. If Ponder is still hurt, Cassel will keep the job. Beyond Sunday's game against Carolina, well, there's no guarantee for anyone. The Vikings were finalizing Freeman's contract Monday, four days after the 25-year-old was cut by Tampa Bay. He didn't make it in time for practice but was scheduled to arrive later, and Freeman and general manager Rick Spielman were scheduled to address reporters in an evening conference call.

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