Adrian Peterson is four years removed from being charged with felony child abuse.
He later entered a plea deal to misdemeanor reckless assault and received a suspension from the NFL that kept him off the field for the rest of the 2014 season.
Now, in a recent interview, Peterson said he still disciplines his son with a belt.
"I had to discipline my son and spank him the other day with a belt," Peterson told Bleacher Report.
"There's different ways I discipline my kids," he added. "I didn't let that change me."
According to Bleacher Report, Peterson said he will use different tactics to discipline his children including taking away electronics, placing them in timeout and even having them do wall squats.
But, Peterson went on to say that "spankings are sometimes necessary ... especially after repeat offenses."
"Peterson says he finds comfort in knowing these lessons will help his children make better decisions in the future. Corporal punishment helped him become the man he is today, after all—a man who loves his kids. 'My kids love me. When they want something, they come ask dad,' he says. 'They enjoy being around me.'"
Peterson added he hopes his situation sheds light to the subject of child abuse, but "remains confident that he is not a child abuser."
"I understood that, hey, it was a mistake," Peterson said. "It's something that I've regretted. It wasn't my intentions to do that. But it happened."
In the 2014 decision to suspend Peterson without pay, the league released a statement saying, in part, he must "have no further violations of law or league policy.”
It's unclear if the league will take action, but ProFootballTalk reported this could be grounds for another punishment.
"If the NFL views Peterson hitting his son with a belt as a failure to “properly care for your children,” he could be suspended regardless of whether he faces criminal charges. The NFL has made it clear with past incidents that players can be disciplined under the personal-conduct policy even if they are not criminally charged."
A statement was later released by agent Ron Slavin on behalf of Peterson. Slavin, who posted the statement on Twitter, said that trust between the reporter and Peterson was "violated." He also stated neither himself or Peterson will make any further comments regarding the article.
“There is nothing more important to Adrian Peterson than being a good father to his children,” Slavin wrote. “The Bleacher Report approached the Washington Redskins and Adrian about doing a story about his resurgence on the field and his leadership in the locker room. Adrian’s trust with this reporter was violated when he discussed what happened four years ago. Adrian learned several valuable lessons four years ago, thanks in part to his suspension and counseling he underwent during and afterward. The writer attempted to focus on four years ago rather than who Adrian is now as a father. Since signing with the Redskins he has been an outstanding teammate and leader both on and off the field. Neither Adrian or myself will make any further comment on this article. His focus remains on leading the Redskins to the playoffs.”