Adrian Peterson: 'I won't ever use a switch again'

Adrian Peterson admits he has to change the way his disciplines his children.

"I won't ever use a switch again," Peterson told Tom Pelissero of USA Today in an exclusive interview. "There's different situations where a child needs to be disciplined as far as timeout, taking their toys away, making them take a nap. There's so many different ways to discipline your kids."

The Minnesota Vikings running back faces a suspension for the remainder of the 2014 season after pleading no-contest to a misdemeanor reckless assault charge for disciplining his son with a switch.

At this point, Peterson's future in football takes a back seat to rebuilding his shattered reputation. The father of six children by six different women wants to prove to everyone that he loves his family, and that he didn't intend on hurting his son.

"No one knows how I felt when I turned my child around after spanking him and seeing what I had left on his leg," Peterson said. "No one knows that Dad sat there and apologized to him, hugged him and told him that I didn't mean to do this to you and how sorry I was.

"I love my son. I love my kids, my family. Like I said after I took the misdemeanor plea, I take full responsibility for my actions. I regret the situation. I love my son more than any one of you could even imagine."

Though Peterson's focus remains on improving his relationship with his son and his family, the six-time Pro Bowler would like to eventually don the horned helmet of the Vikings again someday. 

"I would love to go back and play in Minnesota to get a feel and just see if my family still feels comfortable there," Peterson said. "But if there's word out that hey, they might release me, then so be it. I would feel good knowing that I've given everything I had in me."