MINNEAPOLIS -- The odyssey that began by watching YouTube clips of Adrian Peterson on a screen in Germany came full circle this week with a few quiet words, a head nod and a brief hug.

Minnesota Vikings rookie Moritz Böhringer is in the NFL in large part because of Peterson's influence on him, and he couldn't help but be a little starstruck when he finally said hello to his idol on Monday.

"I actually just passed him coming through the weight room," Peterson said Wednesday. "I said 'what's up' to him, and he was kind of like a little kid. He was little shy. ... It's been good just to see [the rookies] work and see their work ethic. So it's been exciting."

Böhringer's first exposure to American football came through highlight clips of Peterson, and as his interest in the sport grew, his fandom was affixed to the Vikings. When Minnesota selected the receiver in the sixth round on April 30 -- making him the first NFL player to be drafted directly from Europe -- Böhringer's mind quickly went to what it would be like to meet Peterson.

"I heard he has a very strong handshake," he said after he was drafted. "I will be prepared for that."

Peterson hasn't given the 22-year-old his vise grip of a greeting yet, but he's not planning to hold back.

"I actually haven’t laid it on him yet," Peterson said with a laugh on Wednesday. "I was more of shoulder hug and whatnot, but I thought about that yesterday and I was like, 'I wonder if he's going to be prepared when I do shake his hand.'"