How will the Chicago Bears stop the NFL's third leading rusher on Sunday? With personal knowledge. The two inside defensive tackles, most important to stopping the run for the Bears, were college teammmates of the NFL's third-leading rusher in college.
The Bears Tommie Harris played a big role in helping Sooners Head Coach Bob Stoops recruit fellow Texas Prep Star Adrian Peterson.
"I got him to play at the University of Oklahoma," grinned Harris inside the Chicago Bears locker room Wednesday.
What was his selling point? "That I would stay"
And did he? "No" Harris laughed.
What Harris and fellow tackle Dusty Dvoracek do know is how good Adrian Peterson is.
Just last October "Purple Jesus," as Peterson is known, set a then-Vikings franchise record 224 yds with three touchdowns and 128 yards on kickoff returns against the Bears at Soldier Field. Dvoracek remembers the future NFL star as being well protected in college, and not just by his Offensive Line.
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"He was good, he kind of wore a special jersey at practice, coach never wanted me to hit him in practice," Dvoracek recalled, "it was always fun going against him in practice because we weren't keeping score".
But they will on Sunday at Soldier Field Sunday.
