A Houston judge has ordered former NFL MVP Adrian Peterson to turn over assets to address $12 million in debt, according to multiple reports.
Per a court order obtained by USA Today and Field Level Media, the judge has ordered constables to accompany debt collector Robert Berleth to Peterson’s Missouri City, Texas, home as Berleth seizes Peterson’s assets. Missouri City is a suburb of Houston.
Berleth made the request of the court for an escort in July.
“The receiver requests constable accompaniment when receiver levies the numerous assets known to be stored at (the property) to keep the peace and prevent interference with the receiver’s duties,” Berleth’s request reads, per the reports.
Peterson “is known to have numerous assets” at his home, according to the request. The judge granted Berleth’s request on Monday.
Per USA Today, the debt is from a $5.2 million loan Peterson took out in 2016 from Pennsylvania lender DeAngelo Vehicle Sales LLC (“vehicle” meaning financial instruments, not cars). Peterson was in his last season with the Minnesota Vikings when he took out the loan. Per reports, Peterson borrowed the money to pay other debts and agreed to pay it back with interest in March of 2017.
At the time, Peterson was eligible for an $18 million team option with the Vikings in 2017. The Vikings declined the option, making Peterson a free agent. He then signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Per the court filing, the debt remains outstanding and has escalated. It led to an $8.3 million judgment against Peterson in 2021 and has continued to escalate with fees and interest to a total of roughly $12.5 million.
“No offsets have been made against this judgment to date,” Berleth stated in a July court filing.
Peterson’s attorney Chase Carlson issued a statement addressing the debt in 2019.
“This is yet another situation of an athlete trusting the wrong people and being taken advantage of by those he trusted,” Carlson wrote.
Neither Peterson nor his representatives have publicly addressed the judgment issued against him on Monday.
This is not Peterson’s first trouble with debt. He was ordered to pay back $2.4 million owned on a separate loan in 2019.
Peterson played 15 NFL seasons from 2007-21 in what projects as a certain Hall of Fame career. He was a three-time rushing champion, a seven-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. He was named MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2012. Per Spotrac, Peterson earned more than $103 million in salary over the course of his career.
