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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 taking place in the locker rooms was not only unnecessary but uninformed.
“I don’t let politics get into how I try to get my team prepared to beat the Cincinnati Bengals or the Pittsburgh Steelers or whoever. I just felt it was unnecessary,” Peterson told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
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Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson laughs after a flag was thrown at him in 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 (the 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 political discussions with teammates became more frequent as his career continued. Peterson even said politics eventually became part of team meetings.
“(Politics) crept into a lot of team meetings,” Peterson said. “Which, in my opinion, I felt was unnecessary. Like, yes, we have a voice. Yes, we have an obligation. But if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do on the field, which is your livelihood and what keeps the lights on in your household, that’s kind of like outside noise to me, especially in the line of work that we are.”
“That has nothing to do with us. Yeah, we can do that on our own time. We’re focused on winning ballgames at this given time.”
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, NY on November 13, 2022. (Mark Konezny/USA TODAY Sports)
He recalled a 2017 game where the Cardinals played the Dallas Cowboys and they locked down all guns 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 2010s. In 201 career games, Peterson recorded 36 interceptions, 122 pass breakups, 652 total tackles and four sacks.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native will play in the American Century Championship from July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe.
Peterson said the event has grown tremendously over the years and said it’s something his whole family enjoys.
“My girls look forward to going to Lake Tahoe every single year to not only hike with dad, but to go out on the lake,” Peterson said. “Go on top of the mountain and do the zipline and stuff like that. So the memories that they’re able to create for the families that are involved are countless.”
Peterson is using artificial intelligence 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 December 9, 2018. (Rob Schumacher/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“I use this app called Performance Golf. It’s basically an app that you can download on your phone and you can basically have an AI coach,” Peterson said.
“You can video yourself, you can use any club, any swing, putter, wedge, chip, pitch, driver, iron, whatever you need that you need help with or want to see better results in, you can video yourself, submit the video, and then the AI trainer will tell you what your mistake is, what you need to work on to get better results using it for the last four months, and I’ve been tremendously helpful.”
The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
