AP Photo/Tyler Morning Telegraph/David Branch
Sons of IX
Bonita Jackson
and Adrian Peterson
With his 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash and his 6,752 NFL rushing yards, Adrian Peterson is a man on the move. For that, he can thank his mom. In 1983, Bonita Jackson was the Texas state champ in the 100 meters, 200 meters, triple jump and long jump as a senior at Westwood High in Palestine. All those trophies earned her a track scholarship to the University of Houston and a rep as "the fastest girl in Texas." Eventually, Bonita's wheels also helped push her son, now a Pro Bowler with the Minnesota Vikings. Adrian says he couldn't outrace his mom until he was in ninth grade. "Speed is in his genes," Bonita has said. "He gives that same look I do when he runs, hooking his neck as if it's making him faster. I love watching him." Thanks to her, so do a lot of football fans.
