Adrian Peterson has put forth an impressive NFL career that will land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. Peterson has accomplished nearly it all on the football field but has experienced hard times away from his craft. He has been in several tough situations that include dealing with something that no parent should have to go through with their child.

Adrian Peterson’s personal life

Since entering the NFL, Adrian Peterson has become a prominent player in the league for more than the last decade.

The 35-year-old has had a busy life away from the football field, dealing with rough situations. Much of which has seen his personal life become public due to legal matters concerning financial mistakes. These issues have significantly impacted his life, but that didn’t hinder him from putting together a rather large extended family as he has had six children.

There hasn’t always been a positive light regarding his children due to regrettable mistakes he made, with one being beating his child with a tree branch. However, that entire incident was proceeded by a tragic situation with one of his kids.

Adrian Peterson’s two-year-old son’s tragic passing

It hasn’t always been easy for Adrian Peterson regarding his children as he has had a tragic situation arise with one of his children.

In October 2013, Peterson saw his personal life in the headlines as his two-year-old son, Tyrese Robert Ruffin, was beaten to death by the boyfriend of the mother of his child. The former Minnesota Vikings star running back had only learned that he was the father of the child only a couple months before the incident.

Peterson did not meet his son until he rushed to the hospital to see him on life support lying in a hospital bed. He was planning to visit him in late October to build a relationship with him. The mother of his child decided to have her son’s organs donated to other people in need of a transplant, which Peterson suggested and supported. Peterson took to Facebook to voice his appreciation for the support he received from the league and fellow NFL players.

“Thank you to my family, my fans, and fans of other teams for their support. The NFL is a fraternity of brothers and I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls, and text messages from my fellow players. God GBless everyone and thank you so much.”

It’s a tragic end to a child’s life that he never got to live out even a full childhood.

Man convicted in heinous crime

The entire situation occurred through a heinous act from the mother’s boyfriend, Joseph Patterson, who was initially arrested for battery of an infant and aggravated assault.

The trial concerning that matter concluded in September 2015 as Patterson was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and aggravated battery. Griffin suffered four blows to the head, causing his brain to bleed, which doctors determined were injuries that could not have been due to an accident.

Patterson’s defense in the case maintained that the two-year-old choked on a fruit snack and that the injuries were from giving CPR. Nonetheless, the jury ruled in favor of the charges against him as the second-degree murder holds a mandatory life sentence. It brought a tragic close to an incident where a child’s life was lost.