When Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson tore both his ACL and MCL toward the end of the 2011 football season, few observers thought he would be ready for Week 1 of the 2012 campaign. Injuries like Peterson’s can take almost a year to rehab, and since he suffered his tears in December, the prospects for his return to the field in 2012 looked dim.

Peterson, of course, proved everyone wrong. Not only was he ready to go for the Vikings on opening day, he rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns—and he never looked back. He had an incredible season, rushing for 2,097 total yards, just 15 shy of the single-season record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984; winning the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award; and leading his team to a playoff berth.

So how did Peterson come back from a major injury so fast and have such an unbelievable season? By playing video games, obviously. To keep his mind occupied during otherwise monotonous knee and leg rehab exercises, Peterson’s trainer had him play Wii Fit games, which allowed him to strengthen his leg and improve his balance, both important aspects of the rehab process.

Check out the full video of Peterson’s road to recovery, including footage of him getting his Wii Fit on, and join us in looking forward to more amazing feats from Peterson in the 2013 season.