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Future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson was ordered by a judge in Houston, Texas, to turn over assets to help pay off what is estimated to be more than $12 million in debt.
Peterson, who earned over $103 million in salary playing in the NFL, reportedly owes the money after failing to repay a $5.2 million loan he took out in 2016. That loan payment then grew to become an $8.3 million judgment against him in 2021, which has since ballooned to over $12.5 million due to interest.
Adrian Peterson allegedly used a portion of the original $5.2 million loan to pay off a $2.4 million loan that he allegedly defaulted on and was sued over.
On Monday, USA Today reports, the judge ordered that constables in Fort Bend County, Texas, accompany court-appointed receiver Robert Berleth to Adrian Peterson’s home in Missouri City, Texas to seize his assets.
In February, dozens of Peterson’s personal items, including his 2012 MVP trophy and his 2007 Rookie of the Year trophy, were advertised for sale at an auction.
He denied being the one behind the auction.
“I did not authorize the sale of any of my trophies, and I will be taking legal action,” Peterson said in a since-deleted video on X (Twitter).
“Trusting this company without supervision was my mistake. We allowed them to go into several of our storage units with clear instructions. They clearly did something unlawful.
“I want to emphasize that I’m financially stable and would never sell off my hard-earned trophies. And if I was gonna sell ’em, I know people that I could sell them to. I wouldn’t go online and sell my personal items randomly.”
Court-appointed receiver Robert Berleth shared a different version of what happened in the court documents that lead to the judge ordering the seizure of Peterson’s assets.
“The Receiver intercepted an auction the debtor (Peterson) initiated and seized items at Storage Facilities leased and secured with lock by the Debtor (Peterson),” Berleth said in the documents. “The assets belong to the Debtor. The leases at the Storage Facilities were delinquent. The debtor contested the sale of trophies.”
On Tuesday, Adrian Peterson’s publicist Denise White blamed the NFL great’s former financial advisor for all of the problems in a statement.
“Legal representatives have informally referred to the situation as ‘loan sharking’ due to the high interest rate and the predatory nature of the loan, but all attempts at an amicable settlement have been rebuffed,” Peterson’s statement read.
“Peterson feels it is important to speak out, hoping that others can avoid similar financial predicaments. Trusting his financial advisor, as many do, Peterson relied on assurances—under now-missing recordings—that no personal funds would be required to settle the loan. Unfortunately, he has been left solely responsible for the financial fallout.
“He looks forward to resolving this matter quickly so he can move forward with his life. His ultimate goal is to help others avoid falling into similar financial traps in the future.”
The last time Adrian Peterson was seen in a sporting arena he was being savagely knocked out by another former NFL running back, LeVeon Bell. He reportedly made $15,000 for the fight.
In 2023, he participated in season 32 of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in 11th place.