Mike Peterson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Peterson was born in Gainesville, Florida in 1976. He attended Santa Fe High School in Alachua, Florida, where he played for the Santa Fe Raiders. He accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Florida and played for coach Steve Spurrier's Gators from 1995 to 1998. He was a member of the 1996 national championship team. He started twenty-four of forty-two games, posting 249 tackles, three forced fumbles, thirteen tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks. As a senior team captain in 1998, he was first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American, and was selected as the Gators' most valuable player by his teammates. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a 'Gator Great' in 2011. The Indianapolis Colts selected Peterson in the second round (36th overall) of the 1999 NFL draft. He played for the Colts from 1999 to 2002, then for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003 to 2008, and for the Atlanta Falcons from 2009 to 2012. He re-signed with the Falcons on July 23, 2012, and became an unrestricted free agent in 2013. After retiring, he returned to Florida in 2013 to complete his undergraduate degree, worked as an undergraduate assistant on the strength and conditioning staff, and became its coordinator in 2014. In 2016, he was hired as outside linebackers coach at South Carolina. On January 5, 2022, he was hired as outside linebackers coach at Florida.

In Their Own Story

The turning point of Peterson's college career occurred during the 1996 season when the Florida Gators finished with a 12–1 record. He was part of the team that defeated top-ranked Florida State Seminoles 52–20 in the Sugar Bowl to win the Bowl Alliance national championship. Over his college career, he started twenty-four of forty-two games and recorded 249 tackles, three forced fumbles, thirteen tackles for a loss, and 8.5 sacks. As a senior team captain in 1998, he was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) and first-team All-American, while his teammates voted him the Gators' most valuable player. His contributions were recognized when he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a 'Gator Great' in 2011.

Reader's Guide

Peterson is the older brother of former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson. He is married to his wife Chantal and they have two sons: Mike Jr. and Gavin. He and his wife established the Mike Peterson Foundation in 2004 to support under-served youth and families in Alachua, Jacksonville, and Atlanta. The foundation has served over 15,000 youth and families, notably through the Top Dog Readers Club literacy program at Grove Park Elementary School in Atlanta.

Did You Know?

• Peterson was a second-round pick (36th overall) in the 1999 NFL draft.
• He played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2009 to 2012.
• He was a first-team All-American in 1998.
• He is the older brother of former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson.