Patrick Peterson Goes Mental

Eye-opening 2014 season forced Cardinals' star cornerback to address biggest weakness

Patrick Peterson grabbed his cell phone, scrolled through a long list of contacts and found the text message he wanted.

“Let me show you something,” the Cardinals’ star cornerback said, clicking on a photo so it took up the entire screen. “One of my best friends just sent me this.”

It was a portrait of Peterson, then a senior at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Florida, on the cover of a local magazine. A splashy headline accompanied it, declaring the teenager NFL-ready before he played a down of college football.

“When I was in high school, that’s what they used to say,” said Peterson, a wry smile…