After becoming the highest paid NFL cornerback in 2014, Arizona Cardinals corner Patrick Peterson wants to take his game to the next level in 2015. Speaking of money, the four-time Pro Bowler and Under Armour-sponsored athlete just dropped $2.962 million on a new home in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to the Los Angeles Times. M&F recently sat down with the league’s top moneymaking corner to chat offseason training, improving speed and more.
M&F: What’s the focus of your offseason training?
Patrick Peterson: Right now my training consists of making sure that I’m keeping my body in maintenance form because this time I’m still regrouping from the season. I want to still give my body enough time to recuperate and heal so I can be able to get back at it again in April for Organized Team Activities.
So, right now I’m doing a lot of maintenance work like jogging three miles a day, lifting 3 times a week, and doing cardio four times a week.
What do you do for cardio?
I do a ton of core work, agility ladder drills and I do this drill called the “deadmill.” For the deadmill, I set a treadmill at a three-degree incline, unplug it, and power it with just my legs, so it’s called a deadmill. I do a bunch of pullups and that’s basically it as far as cardio. I do a lot of stuff on a vibrating plate as well.
How does your training change when the season starts?
I keep doing all that training still but kick up to another notch. In terms of intensity, on a scale of 1-10 the workout is maybe a 5 but in April leading up into May it’s about a 7-8. When June starts, that’s when I’m really in the thick of things and need to be at a 10.
What exercises do you think help you improve performance on the field?
I’m working on being much quicker and lighter on my feet. I walk around with walking weights and punch my hands at a consistent pace at all times, because I want to make sure my hands are quicker too. To get my feet moving quicker and swifter, I do agility ladder work in my spare time. Those are some of the things I’m doing to make sure I can take my game to the next level.
What part of your game would you like to improve on in 2015?
I’m trying to improve quickness, and by that I mean being able make a move on a drop of a dime and to react when the receiver reacts. I want to make quicker decisions than I have in the past. I want to be that much further ahead of my opponent.
What are your three best drills for getting faster?
No. 1: Sand Running Run on the beach or a sand pit. When you run on sand it’s hard to run on. You’re building muscle memory so when you go run on concrete you feel much lighter, more in control, and more powerful than you did before when you ran on sand.
No. 2: Sand Agility Ladder Drills Do agility ladder drills in the sand too.
No. 3: Sled Pulls I suggest hill running but if you don’t have access to any steep hills, get a weighted sled and pull the sled in 20 yard increments on a 100 yard field down and back.
