Mike Peterson

Porter Michael Peterson (born June 17, 1976) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the outside linebackers coach at the University of Florida. He most recently was the outside linebackers coach at the University of South Carolina. Peterson played college football for the Florida Gators, where he was a member of a national championship team and earned first-team All-American honors. He was a second-round pick in the 1999 NFL draft and played professionally for thirteen seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He is the older brother of former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson.

Early life

Peterson was born in Gainesville, Florida in 1976. He attended Santa Fe High School in nearby Alachua, Florida,databaseFootball.com, Players, . Retrieved March 19, 2011. where he played for the Santa Fe Raiders high school football team.

College career

Peterson accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1995 to 1998. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 89, 94, 97, 98, 99, 103, 125, 149, 153, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.University of South Carolina, Mike Peterson. Retrieved May 10, 2018."Mike Peterson Named Outside Linebackers Coach," University of South Carolina (January 26, 2016). Retrieved May 10, 2018. He was a member of the 1996 Gators team that finished 12–1 and won the Bowl Alliance national championship by defeating the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles 52–20 in the Sugar Bowl. Peterson started twenty-four of forty-two games in which he played, posted 249 tackles, three forced fumbles, thirteen tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks. As a senior team captain in 1998, he was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection and a first-team All-American, and was selected as the Gators' most valuable player by his teammates.

Peterson was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2011." Eight Gators To Be Inducted Into UF Athletic Hall of Fame Friday Night ," GatorZone.com (April 8, 2011). Retrieved May 23, 2011.

College awards and honors 2× SEC Championship (1995, 1996) Bowl Alliance National Championship (1996) First-team All-SEC (1998) First-team All-American (1998) University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame

Professional career

The Indianapolis Colts selected Peterson in the second round (36th overall) of the 1999 NFL draft. The Colts acquired the pick from the St. Louis Rams in exchange for Marshall Faulk.National Football League, Draft History, 1999. Retrieved May 23, 2010.

He played for the Colts for four seasons from to .National Football League, Current Players, Mike Peterson. Retrieved May 22, 2010. Peterson also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars for the six seasons from to when he and coach Jack del Rio had a verbal altercation during a team meeting.Chris Mortensen, "Peterson Not Allowed to Practice Again; Benching or Suspension Likely," ESPN (November 6, 2008). Retrieved May 10, 2018.

Peterson played for the Atlanta Falcons from to . On March 13, 2012, he became an unrestricted free agent,D. Orlando Ledbetter, " Three key Falcons' starters become free agents," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (March 13, 2012). Retrieved March 14, 2012. but re-signed with the Falcons on July 23, 2012. Peterson again became an unrestricted free agent in 2013.D. Orlando Ledbetter, "Which free agents should the Falcons retain?," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (January 31, 2013). Retrieved May 20, 2013.

NFL awards and honors Second-team All-Pro (2005)

Coaching career

Upon retirement from the NFL, Peterson returned to the University of Florida in 2013 to complete his undergraduate degree. He first worked as an undergraduate assistant coach on the Gators strength and conditioning staff then took over as its coordinator in 2014 after graduating.

In 2016, Peterson was hired as outside linebackers coach on Will Muschamp's staff at South Carolina.

On January 5, 2022, Peterson was hired as outside linebackers coach on Billy Napier's staff at Florida.

Personal life

Peterson is the older brother of former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson and cousin of former NFL wide receiver Freddie Solomon. Peterson is married to his wife Chantal and they have two sons: Mike Jr. and Gavin.

Peterson and his wife established the Mike Peterson Foundation in 2004. The foundation was constituted in an attempt to support and benefit under-served youth and socio-economically challenged families in Peterson's hometown of Alachua, Florida and his NFL cities of Jacksonville and Atlanta. Since its inception, the Mike Peterson Foundation has already served over 15,000 youth and families through several community events and programs, most notably the Top Dog Readers Club literacy program at the Grove Park Elementary School in Atlanta.

Mike Peterson

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