Breaking: Huge Boost As Elite Professional Joins Georgia Southern Football Staff
College Football Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson, a Georgia Southern alum, has been appointed as the director of student-athlete development for the Georgia Southern football program, as announced Tuesday by head coach Chad Lunsford. Peterson succeeds Andrew Dodge, who transitioned to an on-field coaching role at the end of the 2016 season.
In this new position, Peterson will collaborate closely with Student-Athlete Services to keep the football staff informed about the academic progress of the team’s over 100 student-athletes. He will also mentor many players, helping them navigate their college experience with the ultimate goal of graduation. Additionally, he will play a significant role in on-campus recruiting and other areas as determined by Lunsford.
“It’s a privilege to return to Georgia Southern, a university that helped shape me as a young man,” Peterson said. “I now have the chance to support our student-athletes in their growth both on and off the field.”
Peterson’s No. 3 jersey is retired at Georgia Southern, and he remains the NCAA Division I all-time leader in rushing yards with 6,559 during regular-season play. He is already a member of the GS Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December. A native of Alachua, Florida, he was a four-time All-American and the first sophomore to win the Walter Payton Award, which honors the top player in the FCS. He recorded over 100 rushing yards in 48 consecutive games and set 30 school and playoff records upon graduation. Peterson was a sixth-round draft pick by the Chicago Bears in 2002 and participated in Super Bowl XLI.
Inducted into the inaugural SoCon Hall of Fame class in 2009, Peterson was a unanimous selection for the Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012 during his first year of eligibility. He is also known for his charitable work and advocacy for education, dedicating his life to motivational speaking and various charitable initiatives.
Peterson and fellow Georgia Southern standout Tracy Ham are the only two Eagles enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and the only ones to have their jersey numbers retired. Both are now part of the university’s staff, with Ham serving as a senior associate athletic director for internal operations.
“Bringing Adrian Peterson onto our staff is significant for Georgia Southern and our community,” said Lunsford. “He will play an important role in the lives of our student-athletes. His experiences will greatly benefit them, and he will undoubtedly serve as a role model. We talk about finding the right fit and the blue-collar mentality, and no one embodies that more than AP. He will be an invaluable asset to this program, and I’m thrilled to welcome him back to Statesboro.”
Peterson is the second off-field coaching hire Lunsford has made recently, following the appointment of former GS slotback T.J. Anderson as director of high school relations in late January.
Georgia Southern will kick off spring practice on Thursday, March 8, with the Spring Game scheduled for Saturday, April 14.