Adrian Peterson expressed remorse for injuring his 4-year-old son with a switch but said people shouldn't put him in the same category as Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice.
Rice was caught on videotape punching his then fiancee in the face in an Atlantic City hotel elevator and knocking her out cold. He was suspended for the season.
The Minnesota running back also vowed never to use a switch on his children again and said he is not sure if his return to football will be with the Vikings or another National Football League team.
"I spanked my child and no matter what my intentions were, I ended up leaving those marks on his legs," Peterson told USA Today newspaper in an interview published Thursday night. "That's not what I tried to do, but that's what ended up happening. Don't put me in the same [category as Rice]."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced Tuesday that Peterson would be suspended indefinitely without pay after pleading no contest to a charge of misdemeanor reckless assault for striking his son in May.
Peterson will not be considered for reinstatement prior to April 15 under the Tuesday ruling.
"You have shown no meaningful remorse for your conduct," Goodell said.
Peterson, who is a father of six children by a half dozen women, did express remorse in the USA Today article for using the tree branch.
"I won't ever use a switch again," he said. "There is different situations where a small child needs to be disciplined as far as timeouts, taking their toys away, making them take a nap. There's so many different ways to discipline your child."
Peterson has not played since the Vikings' season opener on September 7, though he had been receiving his full salary while on the exempt list until Tuesday's ruling.
Peterson, who is appealing his suspension, said when he returns it could be with the Vikings or it could be some other NFL team.
"I would love to go back and play in Minnesota to get a feel and just see if my family still feels comfortable there," Peterson said.
- 'Fresh start somewhere else' -
"But if there's word out that hey, they might release me, then so be it. I would feel good knowing that I've given everything I had in me ... maybe it is best for me to get a fresh start somewhere else."
Peterson also said he is upset with Goodell for saying he hasn't shown any remorse.
"Don't say that I'm not remorseful, because in my statement, I showed that I was remorseful. I regretted everything that took place. I love my child, more than anyone could ever imagine."
Peterson told the paper that he was advised not to attend a scheduled meeting with the league last Friday because the process wasn't fair.
"I didn't want to go into a situation blind," he said. "I didn't know what to expect. Who's going to be there? Who will I be meeting with? What details are we going to get into?"
The union filed an appeal of Peterson's suspension on Thursday. In a letter sent to the commissioner's office Thursday, the union accused Goodell and the NFL of denying Peterson due process and called for the case to be heard by an independent arbitrator.
"Given the intense criticism that you and the League office have faced from NFL business partners, Congress, the media, NFL fans and the public at large, and the public pronouncements and commitments you have personally made in response to this criticism, it is clear that you have, by your actions, rendered yourself evidently partial and biased in this matter," the letter read.
Peterson said he is also upset with the speculation and "assumptions" among the general public that are being made about the way he disciplines his children. Just one of Peterson's six kids lives with him.
"All they care about is, 'Hey, these are the pictures. They say that he put leaves in his mouth. They say that he beat him. They say that I hit his hands (and those were) defensive wounds.'"
"I made a mistake," Peterson said. "People have painted this picture because they feel like, 'OK, this has happened and this is what has to take place.' But they don't know the love that my kids have for me."
Source: AFP