Vikings' Peterson is named NFL's top offensive rookie

Adrian Peterson is impressed.

Not so much by his achievements as he ran away with The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting the same way he surged past opposing tacklers this season. What has gotten the attention of the Minnesota Vikings running back is who he joins as winners of the award.

"It's a great honor to join a list with names like those," Peterson said Wednesday when told that Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith, Eric Dickerson and Billy Sims also won the award. "They are guys that I looked up to growing up. It's a goal that I set before the year started, to win rookie of the year, so it feels great to accomplish that."

Peterson, who set the league mark for rushing in a game with 296 yards in a 35-17 victory over San Diego, also had a 224-yarder in a win against Chicago. The key to Minnesota's improvement to an 8-8 record this season, he led the NFC with 1,341 yards rushing, second only to San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson in the league. His 78 points on 13 touchdowns were second in the conference.

Those numbers, compiled in 14 games, and his overall impact — the Vikings struggled to pass the ball, yet were in the wild-card race until the final game — earned Peterson 46 1/2 votes Wednesday from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Cleveland tackle Joe Thomas was the only other player receiving votes, 3 1/2.

"I added to things they already had," Peterson said. "I am a playmaker. That's why I say if there is anything I could do to put me out there, just put me out there.

NOLAN TO STAY WITH NINERS: After five straight losing seasons, the San Francisco 49ers still believe everything is going according to coach Mike Nolan's plan.

Nolan will return to the 49ers next season despite going 16-32 in his first three years with the club. Scot McCloughan, their top personnel executive, was formally announced as general manager Wednesday, getting a contract extension and a raise.

And other than those new business cards for McCloughan, 49ers owner John York apparently made no significant changes to his beleaguered franchise's power structure after the longest streak of losing football in team history.

Nolan, who previously had the final say on all football decisions, and McCloughan will continue to make joint decisions on every issue for the 49ers (5-11), even though McCloughan now has "the trigger," as Nolan put it.