By CHIP SCOGGINSascoggins@startribune.com

Toby Gerhart knew there was a decent chance he would make his first career start Monday night with Adrian Peterson questionable because of a bruised right knee. The rookie running back got the call and was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise miserable 40-14 loss to Chicago at TCF Bank Stadium.

Gerhart rushed for a season-high 77 yards on 16 carries, most of that coming in the first quarter when the game was still close. However, he also lost a fumble in the fourth quarter.

“I think we practice every week to be ready for that situation,” Gerhart said. “It’s football. You never know what’s going to happen. It could be one play and you can be thrown in there.”

Peterson’s knee injury — which he suffered when he collided with Tarvaris Jackson on a handoff exchange in the New York Giants game — sidelined him for the first time since 2007, ending his streak of 53 consecutive games. The Pro Bowl running back also is dealing with a sore right ankle.

Coach Leslie Frazier said the slippery conditions at TCF Bank Stadium did not factor into his decision to deactivate Peterson, noting he would have made the same decision in September or October.

“It wouldn’t have been wise to put him out there,” Frazier said.

With only two games left, Frazier said he will remain cautious with Peterson. Even if he plays Sunday against Philadelphia, Gerhart could continue to see an increased workload.

“It’s fun any time you get a chance to play and show what you can do,” Gerhart said. “Just go out there and do what I get paid to do, and that’s run the ball.”

Gerhart had a strong start in the lead role Monday night. He rushed for 50 yards on nine carries in the first quarter, including a 21-yard run. He ran hard and fought for tough yards. But he had only seven carries over the final three quarters as the score became lopsided.

“Toby did a great job of stepping up in Adrian’s role and was really proud of the way he carried that football,” Frazier said. “Wish we could have given it to him even more. Just that where the score ended up at, we had to throw the football a little bit more. But he did a terrific job, just like we thought he would.”

Gerhart’s role has changed in recent weeks after a slow start to his rookie season. He played very few snaps early on before gradually taking over as the third-down back. The Vikings also give Gerhart an occasional series now so that Peterson can rest.

Gerhart has carried the ball 53 times for 218 yards and one touchdown in the past four games. However, he also has fumbled three times (losing all three), including one Monday after catching a short pass.

The Vikings have been outscored 61-17 in their past two games and look like a team just playing out the string. With Peterson hurting, the team might look to give Gerhart some extra work in the final two games.

“We’ll be cautious regarding Adrian, just making sure that he can do the things he has to do in order to perform before we put him back out there,” Frazier said. “And if he can go, then he’ll get a chance to go. But if not, if there are any inhibitions, we won’t put him at risk.”

After getting the opportunity to interview Anthony Herrera two weeks ago, I was able to dupe another PR firm get some time to sit down with Toby Gerhart while he signed autographs in Burnsville this afternoon. Before I get to the Q&A, here are some of the things I learned about Gerhart today:

•He’s a good multi-tasker. There was a pretty long line for autographs while I sat at the table with him, so he signed in between questions to make sure everyone got one before the event ended.
•He’s accountable. I was planning on bringing up the fumbling, but he beat me to it and took full responsibility.

•He heard about Childress’ firing just like we did.
•He thinks his former teammate Andrew Luck should go pro next year.
•I learned that if I ever sit next to him again, I better do some more curls beforehand. Dude’s got some huge arms.
Here’s what Gerhart had to say:

Daily Norseman: You’ve had a pretty eventful rookie season here in Minnesota to say the least. Of course that all came to a head yesterday with the firing of Brad Childress. It sounds like a lot of players heard about it on Twitter or ESPN before anything else–how did you hear about it, and how surprised were you to hear the news?
Toby Gerhart: Yeah, it was news to us. I found out how everyone else found out. We were sitting there eating breakfast in the kitchen, and it crossed the bottom of the screen on the ticker that he had been fired. We came into our team meeting about an hour later and Zygi [Wilf] came in and talked to the team. Then Coach Frazier came in and talked to the team and basically said we need to come back on Wednesday ready to go.

DN: How do you and the rest of the team plan to move forward with Leslie Frazier? Should fans expect to see a different game plan on Sunday in Washington?
TG: How we move forward is what Coach talked about in our meeting on Monday, and that’s to forget the past. We have six games left to go out and be united. He said on Monday that we need to come back Wednesday ready to work, to come back as a team that’s united, that’s not going to fracture. Just finish the season hard, play for pride, play for each other, play for respect. We’re just gonna go out and try to win these next six games.

DN: So how do you go out and try to win these next six games? In your mind, what’s the biggest change you need to make both individually and as a team to turn things around?
TG: I definitely think it applies both individually and as a team. The main thing is we need to execute better. You know, me personally, I can’t put the ball on the ground. That was a critical mistake in the last game. We need to eliminate the mistakes. Something like missing a block, whether it’s the timing or just not doing the right technique. It’s affecting the whole team, and it seems like everyone takes their turn making the mistakes. Coach also said in the meeting that everybody just needs to look at themselves first before anyone starts pointing and blaming. Take a self-inventory, do what you need to do to get better, and come back united, ready to work. Like I said, focus on winning these next six games.

DN: Last year at this time you were in California. How are you handling the Minnesota cold in your rookie year?
TG: Well the weather’s not bad yet! I did get my car stuck for a bit the other Saturday when we had that snow, but otherwise the cold doesn’t bother me too much.

DN: Besides the couple of hiccups that you mentioned earlier, it seems like you’re getting more and more comfortable with the offense and taking on more responsibilities with each game. You’ve really started to grow into your role on third downs. What has the learning curve been like as a rookie, and what has been the toughest thing to pick up in the NFL compared to college?
TG: The blitz pickups and the protections. The blitzes aren’t necessarily more complicated–I mean some teams you play are more complicated like the Jets, but everything kind of changes on the fly. In college, we’d call out the protection and I’d come out of the huddle knowing I got the Mike [middle] backer wherever he goes. Here you come out and it could be the same protection and I could start out having the Mike linebacker. But then someone can shift, the center can point, and I have to be on the same page knowing that they’re going to block him and now I gotta watch the backside corner. Just learning on the fly, trying to get on the same page as the offensive line and the quarterback has been the toughest thing.

DN: How much have you learned from playing behind Adrian Peterson? Have you learned the most from him or have their been other veterans and coaches that have taught you a lot since you’ve joined the team?
TG: I’ve definitely learned from Coach EB [Running Backs Coach Eric Bieniemy]. He’s an in-your-face, loud, intense guy. I’ve learned a ton from him but Adrian has been great as well. Starting the first day of camp, you hear all these horror stories as a rookie that the veterans aren’t going to help you or steer you in the wrong direction. Here, it was the exact opposite. Since the first day, if I made a mistake, it was “you might want to start doing your footwork this way” or “make sure you keep your head up when you block that backer”. Different things like that. It’s really helped me understand the scheme and not get down on myself when I do mess up. Overall, it’s been positive.

DN: So have you received any of the stereotypical rookie hazing, like being tied to the goalposts in training camp or anything like that? Or have the guys been pretty light on you?
TG: No, they’re really light on me. I’ve carried the pads once or twice, and each and every day in the meeting room I’ve gotta bring Gatorades along with snacks to the afternoon meetings. I’m responsible for cleaning the room up, wiping and desanitizing the whole room when it’s done. Picking up lunches when we travel has probably been my biggest task, but nothing like Dez Bryant when he got stuck with a $35,000 tab or anything like that.

DN: Well I think Dez kind of earned that one.
TG: [Laughs] Yeah, well they’ve been good to me.

[Right after that question, a guy in a Chester Cheetah costume (I guess Cheetos was doing a promotion too) came up to Toby and gave him a snack bag of Cheetos. It was signed "To Toby...Chester". We all got a good kick out of that.]

DN: With the 3-7 record, some Viking fans are starting to take a peek at the 2011 NFL Draft. The name that keeps getting brought up the most is your old teammate at Stanford, Andrew Luck. Do you think he’ll leave early for the draft?
TG: I really don’t know. Every time I try to ask him about it he just blows it off, laughs about it and says he’s just gonna focus on the rest of this season. But he’s a heck of a quarterback. Me personally, being selfish I think he should. He’s a great player and I think he’s ready. He’s definitely the top quarterback in the nation so I’d like to see him leave.

DN: So have you started game planning for the Redskins? Are there any particular players on Washington’s defense that you need to especially be aware of on blitz protection?
TG: Honestly, I haven’t really looked at them yet. We’ll get back tomorrow, which will be our first day back, and we’ll game plan and go over their personnel. So if you ask me that tomorrow I could tell you everybody, but as of today it’s our day off and we’re still kind of recuperating after last week’s loss.

DN: Well I’ll let you get back and focus on all the signing. I appreciate your time. Thanks for letting me stop out and best of luck to you and the team the rest of the season.
TG: Thank you very much, I appreciate it.

While Mr. Gerhart wasn’t quite as big of a pitch man as teammate Anthony Herrera was when I interviewed him, it should be noted that the interview was made possible by Pepsi MAX. The Pepsi MAX Rookie can series is part of the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week/Year program, which allows fans to vote each week and at the end of the season for the best rookie in the league at www.pepsimax.com/facebook or www.NFL.com/rookie. As the official soft drink of the NFL and as part of the program, Pepsi MAX is not only honoring 14 different NFL rookies on the cans (including Gerhart of course), but is giving fans the chance to win a trip to North Texas to attend Super Bowl XLV and all the festivities leading up to it, where they will announce the 2010 Rookie of the Year.

Actually, they were the battle scars of an NFL running back, which Gerhart matured into during the Vikings’ 17-13 victory over the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.

Stepping up after starter Adrian Peterson went down with an ankle injury early in the second quarter, Gerhart responded with the best game of his brief career, rushing 22 times for 76 yards and scoring his first professional touchdown.

More important, he gained tough north-and-south yards when it mattered most, converting a pair of first downs to help the Vikings melt the clock with a game-ending drive. Gerhart, last year’s Heisman Trophy runner-up with Stanford, emerged from Peterson’s limping shadow to lead Minnesota to a coveted victory in interim head coach Leslie Frazier’s debut.

“It feels great. It’s something that has been a long time coming for us,” said Gerhart, who averaged 3.6 yards per carry. “We always say as an offense we want to end the game in the best formation in football — victory, taking a knee.

“To eat up the clock, credit to the offensive line. They kept pushing it, and we got behind them and kept moving the chains. To get a win for the first time in I don’t know how many games on the road is a big thing for us.”

Among Gerhart’s cheerleaders was Peterson, who stalked the sidelines to stay loose but was unable to return after Washington linebacker Lorenzo Alexander rolled over his ankle while making a tackle.
“I was just telling him to continue to run hard because he was doing good,” Peterson said. “Just keep that ball high and tight because those guys were coming after it. Don’t try to do too much.”

Peterson was on pace for a mighty productive game before he exited.

He already had 36 yards on six carries and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth time in his four-year career.

He also turned a screen pass into a 34-yard gain, which set up his 5-yard touchdown run on the Vikings’ first possession that tied the score 7-7.

Peterson gulped anti-inflammatory pills while trainers taped up his ankle on the sideline, but his probable return was downgraded to questionable after halftime, when it became evident Peterson’s day was finished.

“It started to throb a little bit. I was just seeing how I could keep it loose by jogging and stuff, but it really didn’t help out,” he said. “Trust me, if I could have went, I would have been out there. But (the pain) was just unbearable.”

Peterson, who missed two games because of a knee injury during his rookie year of 2007, will be re-evaluated today in the Twin Cities.

Frazier and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell scripted a conservative scheme to pound the Redskins with the running game, and Peterson’s injury did not change a thing.

“We were going to trust our offensive line to do what we talked about all week long, and they didn’t flinch,” Frazier said. “Toby did a great job of stepping up. We always talk about the next man up, and that was Toby today and he did a good job.”

Sunday’s spot duty also served as redemption for Gerhart, who was benched last week against Green Bay after a costly first-half fumble. Coach Brad Childress was fired the next day, and Gerhart seized on the theme of the week — no more looking in the rear-view mirror.

“Yeah, I put one on the ground last week, but I was making sure all week in practice that wasn’t going to happen (again),” Gerhart said.

Said center John Sullivan: “He’s a high-character guy. He prepared the way he needed to.”

A year ago Sunday, Gerhart was basking in the glory of Stanford’s 45-38 victory over Notre Dame.

The Cardinal finished the season ranked 19th in the country, and Gerhart went on to finish second to Alabama’s Mark Ingram in the closest Heisman voting in history.

All that college fun seems like a lifetime ago considering the harsh times endured this season by the Vikings. There was Gerhart’s fumble against the Packers, and, two weeks earlier against Arizona, he stumbled on the 10-yard line, which robbed him of a sure touchdown.

Sunday, Gerhart’s luggage included the ball he bull-rushed into the end zone in the third quarter, an extra memento from a breakout performance he and the Vikings desperately needed.

“The touchdown feels good. I’ve come up short a few times,” he said. “I tripped a couple of weeks ago, got tackled on the half-yard line in New England. To finally get in there feels great.”

Only one problem: Gerhart, a former Stanford star, was still on California time, not Minnesota snow time. Minutes after hitting the roads, Gerhart was stuck in the snow on a quiet road.

Rookie mistake.

“I thought I was going to miss the meeting, so I was calling a bunch of players,” said Gerhart, who playfully blamed Peterson’s low-rise sports car for the snow jam. “Joe Webb finally picked me up, and I made it in time.”

Turns out the Vikings have no problem handing Gerhart the keys to the offense if necessary.

Gerhart slowly has earned the trust of the Vikings’ coaching staff, carrying the offensive load Sunday with 22 rushes, 76 yards and his first career touchdown in a 17-13 victory at Washington after Peterson left the game with a right ankle sprain.

Peterson is questionable for Sunday’s game against Buffalo at the Metrodome, which increases Gerhart’s value to a team insistent on running the ball under interim coach Leslie Frazier.

Frazier confirmed on KSTP-AM 1500 that tests revealed nothing more than an ankle sprain for Peterson, but Peterson’s streak of 51 games played is in jeopardy. Gerhart is expected to get extended reps in practice this week, said running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who sounds optimistic that Peterson would return swiftly.

“He’ll do everything under the sun to get

via Former Stanford RB Gerhart A Determined Rookie Viking > Pac-10 > News.

via Toby Gerhart Pictures – Seattle Seahawks v Minnesota Vikings – Zimbio.

By Elliott Almond

ealmond@mercurynews.com

Posted: 08/18/2010 08:13:15 PM PDT

Minnesota Vikings running back Toby Gerhart, (32), runs against St. Louis Rams… ( Jeff Roberson )«1»A year ago, Toby Gerhart wore a yellow bib during Stanford football practices signaling, “Precious cargo — Handle with care.”

“I was hardly ever touched,” he recalled this week.

Now he's getting mashed, bashed and smashed on every practice play as a high-profile rookie tailback for the Minnesota Vikings, who face the 49ers in an exhibition Sunday at Candlestick Park.

So much for the NFL Welcome Wagon. Instead of wearing bright-colored bibs for protection, Gerhart practices against tacklers bent on mayhem as if it were a Pacific-10 Conference showdown.

“Guys want to test you,” said Gerhart, who finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy last season after gaining a school-record 1,871 yards and scoring 28 touchdowns. “I get hit by guys and think, 'All right, this is how it is.' ”

After a month of professional football, Gerhart, 23, has learned “everybody puts everything into it.”

The former Cardinal tailback has as w

via Ex-Stanford star Toby Gerhart getting bruising introduction to NFL with Minnesota Vikings – San Jose Mercury News.

Show of Tues Aug 17, Toby’s interview is later in this clip from the Dan Patrick Show. The link below takes you to Dan’s site and plays the audio for the segment Toby’s in.  There’s about 20 minutes of talk preceding Toby’s time.  But, it’s interesting to hear the reporter describe what happened at the Hog’s press conf where she wore her alma mater’s hat and got fired by her boss at the radio station.

At the close of his show, he always asks everyone what they learned that day.  One of the guys today said, “I learned that Toby Gerhart took classes at Stanford with names I can’t pronounce.”  Love those guys!

via Dan Patrick.com.

The competition for the No. 2 running back job between rookie Toby Gerhart and Albert Young didnt provide a lot of clarity, although Gerhart certainly had a better showing. Young got the start, but he finished with minus-7 yards rushing on six carries. Gerhart rushed for 24 yards on eight carries.”They were committing an awful lot of people to the run,” Childress said. “When you commit like that, you throw for 300 yards.”

via On a starless night, Vikings show depth | StarTribune.com.

The Vikings offensive line got pushed around in the running game, just like last season. Albert Young started the game and rushed six times for -7 yards. Gerhart had a nice 22-yard run but added nothing beyond that. He had been outplayed by Young in training camp, so it was nice to see him gain some ground.

via Gerhart totals 28 yards in debut – NFL- nbcsports.msnbc.com.