Players around the NFL voted Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson as the player they'd most like to see play in his first Super Bowl in the latest installment of ESPN's NFL Nation confidential survey. And technically, Peterson has the New Orleans Saints to thank for being eligible for that “honor.” The Saints outlasted the Vikings 31-28 in overtime of their classic NFC championship duel in the Superdome four years ago. Peterson ran for three touchdowns in the game, but he also fumbled twice (both recovered by Minnesota) and dropped a handoff (recovered by the Saints).

There was no real consensus inside the Saints' locker room on this survey question. Peterson did receive multiple votes, and his name came up in several conversations. Clearly he has the utmost respect from his peers for how long he's played at such a high level and how strong he came back from a major knee injury.

But a lot of Saints players preferred to think of guys from AFC teams when this question came up. ... The competitive juices never really stop flowing.