Former Arkansas Razorback and NFL football player Jason Peters talks about his NFL career during the Little Rock Touchdown Club meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Little Rock. .(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
After his induction into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor over the weekend, former Razorback tight end and NFL All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters spoke during the Little Rock Touchdown Club's meeting Monday at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Little Rock.
Peters, now 44, caught passes for the Razorbacks from 2000-03 before becoming one of the most productive NFL offensive lineman of his generation. Peters was originally recruited to Arkansas as a defensive lineman out of Queen City High School in east Texas.
He played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2001, before then-Coach Houston Nutt convinced Peters to transition to tight end due to his unusual combination of size and athleticism. Peters admitted that might not have happened without the stricter transfer rules that were in place at the time.
"It wasn't going my way and I wanted to transfer, but at the time you (had) to sit out a year," Peters said. "I didn't want to do that, so Houston Nutt came up with the idea of, 'Come play tight end for me.' "
The decision paid off for Peters. He made 27 receptions for 288 yards and 4 touchdowns at Arkansas, earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2003.
Following his redshirt junior season, the 6-4, 300-plus-pound Peters elected to forgo his senior season of eligibility and enter the 2004 NFL Draft. He signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent.
"I really thought I was going to get drafted, because that's why I left school early," said Peters. "You send your (tape) into the NFL, they watch your tape and they send the grade back. ... Went undrafted, then I got a call (from) every NFL team in the league wanting me, so I chose the Buffalo Bills."
Buffalo cut Peters during his first season, but the team re-signed him to the practice squad. He was added to the active roster in November 2004, playing mostly special teams the rest of the season. His career spanned 21 years as he appeared in his last NFL game in December 2023 and spent the 2024 season on Seattle's practice squad.
"It was like being at home, being in Fayetteville," he said of his time in Buffalo. "Country in certain areas. You could go downtown and to the city, but it just felt at home when I was in Buffalo. ... The (fans) were rowdy. A lot of beer drinking, blue cheese and wings."
Peters started at offensive tackle full time in 2006 and played the position for the rest of his career. The Bills traded Peters ahead of the 2009 season to Philadelphia, where he played 11 seasons -- not including 2012 when he spent the entire season on injured reserve with a ruptured Achilles -- and earned seven of his nine Pro Bowl selections.
He also earned first-team All-Pro recognition twice (2011, '13) and second-team honors four times (2007-08, '10, '14). He was named to the 2010s NFL All-Decade Team as well. Peters started 221 of the 248 games he played as a pro.
He won a Super Bowl with the Eagles following the 2017 season, but was unable to play in the game due to a knee injury suffered earlier in the season. Despite the injury, Peters was present with the team when they hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in Minneapolis after a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots.
"I really thought I just kind of like sprained it, but I blew it out I think Week 9 or 10," Peters said. "Making that run for the Super Bowl, I just felt like I was out there anyway. (Being injured) didn't bother me any."
On the back end of his career, Peters had stints with the Chicago Bears in 2021, the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 and the Seahawks from 2023-24. He officially retired from the NFL on Feb. 25, 2025, and took a job with Seattle's front office.
He will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029 and is expected to be inducted, possibly in his first year on the ballot.
"It's definitely going to be an emotional day," Peters said of his potential Hall of Fame call. "I never thought about no award like that. Not even coming here and speaking at the Touchdown Club.
"I always stayed laid back, put my hard hat on and go to work. All this stuff, it's an awesome accomplishment. When I get that call, I just don't know. Probably shed some tears maybe."
Michael Harley covers various athletics at Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He also covers the AA Arkansas Travelers minor league baseball team and area high school athletics around the region. Michael makes a weekly appearances on 95.3-FM The Ticket in Jonesboro during the football season, as well as guest appearances on FOX 16 sports in Little Rock.