ADRIAN PETERSON'S 2 YR. OLD SON DEAD AFTER ALLEGED BEATING

The 2-year-old son of NFL star Adrian Peterson died Friday in a South Dakota hospital after he was allegedly beaten by a man dating the boy's mother, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported.  A release from the Sioux City police department said a toddler died "from injuries sustained during the aggravated assault Wednesday." It said it was witholding the child's name but the Associated Press said a person with knowledge of the situation had confirmed it was Peterson's son.  The police said Joseph Robert Patterson had made a court appearance in the case & was being held on $750,000 cash bond.  Patterson, 27, was arrested Thursday night & is charged with aggravated assault & aggravated battery of an infant.  The arrest was made after police & paramedics were called to an apartment at 5:43 p.m. Wednesday & found the 2-year-old victim with injuries consistent with abuse.

Speaking to reporters about an hour after the time of death  although it was not immediately clear if he knew about it, AP reported the Minnesota Vikings running back said he was certain he would play Sunday against Carolina. "I'll be ready to roll, focused," Peterson said. "I will be playing Sunday, without a doubt."

Later Friday, after news of the boy's death spread, Peterson thanked his family, fans & even fans of other NFL teams for their support. He tweeted,  "The NFL is a fraternity of brothers & I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls & text messages from my fellow players."  Earlier Friday, Peterson was on the field for stretching with the Vikings. He left for the locker room briefly during special teams drills, which he doesn't participate in, & returned later. "This is a private matter & I'm just going to ask you all to respect my privacy, & that's all I'm going to say about the situation," Peterson said after practice Friday.