Julian Thomas Peterson (born July 28, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. Peterson was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions.

Julian Peterson
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Peterson with the Seattle Seahawks in 2006
No. 98, 59
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1978-07-28) July 28, 1978 (age 46)
Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school:Temple Hills (MD) Crossland
College:Michigan State
NFL draft:2000 / round: 1 / pick: 16
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:809
Sacks:51.5
Forced fumbles:21
Fumble recoveries:11
Interceptions:8
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Peterson attended Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Maryland. He was the 1996 Chesapeake Classic MVP.

College career

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Peterson attended Valley Forge Military Academy and College for two years before attending Michigan State. In two seasons at Valley Forge, he recorded 39.5 sacks and was first-team NJCAA All-America and Seaboard Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.

Peterson played college football at Michigan State University for his junior and senior year. As a junior, he was the honorable mention All-Big Ten pick by the media.[1] As a senior, he was an All-American selection by Football News and the Sporting News after recording 15 sacks. In his two years at Michigan State he recorded 140 tackles and 25 sacks in only 23 games.

Professional career

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San Francisco 49ers

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Peterson was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round with the 16th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.[2] The 16th overall pick was acquired by San Francisco in a trade with the New York Jets. The Jets were originally given the pick by the New England Patriots, as a result of the controversy of Bill Belichick leaving the Jets’ head coaching position a few months prior to take the same role with the Patriots. As a rookie he started seven of 13 games recording 47 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions.[3] In 2002 Peterson was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time after posting 94 tackles. In six seasons in San Francisco he recorded 394 tackles, 21.5 sacks, and five interceptions in 79 games and was elected to two Pro Bowls.

Seattle Seahawks

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Peterson signed with the Seattle Seahawks before the 2006 season. In his first season in Seattle, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third time after recording 89 tackles and a career-high 10 sacks. In his second season with the Seahawks he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year after posting 74 tackles and 9.5 sacks. During the 2008 NFL Training Camp, Peterson switched jersey numbers from #59 to #98, the number he wore during his previous tenure at San Francisco. In his third season with the team, Peterson made 86 tackles and five sacks, and was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl. In three seasons in Seattle, he recorded 249 tackles, 24.5 sacks, and three interceptions in 48 games and was elected to three Pro Bowls.

Detroit Lions

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The Seattle Seahawks traded Peterson to the Detroit Lions for defensive tackle Cory Redding and a 2009 fifth-round pick on March 14, 2009.[4] On January 5, 2011, Peterson was given his release by the Lions.[5]

NFL statistics

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Regular season

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Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
Comb Solo Ast Sack FF FR Yds Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD
2000 SF 13 46 29 17 4.0 0 0 0 2 33 16.5 31 0 10
2001 SF 14 51 37 14 3.0 0 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3
2002 SF 16 94 76 18 2.0 2 1 0 1 2 2.0 2 0 7
2003 SF 16 94 69 25 7.0 3 0 0 2 31 15.5 31 0 11
2004 SF 5 27 23 4 2.5 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2
2005 SF 15 82 57 25 3.0 1 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 5
2006 SEA 16 89 71 18 10.0 1 1 0 1 -4 -4.0 -4 0 6
2007 SEA 16 74 63 11 9.5 4 2 0 2 3 1.5 3 0 3
2008 SEA 16 86 65 21 5.0 4 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 5
2009 DET 16 76 49 27 4.5 5 1 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 4
2010 DET 15 83 56 27 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 5
Career[6] 158 802 595 207 51.5 21 10 1 8 65 8.1 31 0 61

Postseason

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Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
Comb Solo Ast Sack FF FR Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD
2001 SF 1 11 8 3 1.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2002 SF 2 19 15 4 2.0 2 0 1 0 0.0 0 0 4
2006 SEA 2 13 8 5 1.0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1
2007 SEA 2 16 10 6 1.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Career 7 59 41 18 5.0 3 0 1 0 0.0 0 0 5

Personal life

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Peterson is married to his wife Aimee and has four sons, Jayson, Jadden, Josiah, and Julian Jr. Julian and Aimee's wedding was featured on WE tv's Platinum Weddings.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Julian Peterson Bio :: Michigan State :: Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  2. ^ "2000 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Julian Peterson 2000 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Lions Get Peterson in Return for Redding Yahoo Sports, March 14, 2009
  5. ^ [1] MSNBC Sports.com
  6. ^ "Julian Peterson Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  7. ^ ""Platinum Weddings" Aimee and Julian (TV Episode 2007) - IMDb". IMDb.
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