Big. Strong. Fast. Julius Peppers had everything you would want from a Defensive end. Hear the story that steered his destiny in becoming a Panther Legend. Julius Peppers, welcome to the Hall of Honor.
0:00 The Call
1:06 How it all started
2:50 College years and being drafted
4:10 Julius Peppers: The Machine
5:35 First impressions
6:47 Rookie impact / Carolina 6 pack
9:05 Leading by example
10:56 Best plays
12:12 The Denver return
13:49 Community presence
15:32 Return to Carolina : New role
17:05 Outro
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How thin are you right now I don't know I haven't jumped on the scale in a while You haven't you been playing bball or Something like that you're trying for a Second Career just running behind the kids man The real reason I want to talk to you Actually is because uh I want to tell You you're G to be in the Hall of Honor thank you thank you I'm honored I'm honored I can't wait to go tell Everybody and I can't say that I Expected it right now I am a little bit Surprised I'm looking here 78 n Pro bows You sure as heck deserve It in the Theine Julius Peppers finished his 17-year career with 724 tackles Including 159 and a half sacks Peppers Got to him still fourth best Mark in NFL History Julius Peppers is going to score A touchdown his 266 games played or a Record for defensive lineman and his 13 Block kicks are second most ever in the NFL please welcome Julius [Music] [Applause] Peppers thank You when I think about my sports career In the state it's not so much that I Think about what I did it's about the People that were around me who guided me Inspired me and who supported Me I also think about the certain
Moments That made my destiny the guy standing in Front of him standing straight up by the Way he's he's not ducking down I was 15 Years old right the football coach Standing right there next to the bus his Name was Ray Davis he was like you ever thought about Coming out for the team I was like n not Really you know I play basketball man um Even then he was a man amongst man this Was a 6'4 240 lb kid and I said you know I think it'd be in your best interest if You decided to play football I asked him Like look what you going to have me Playing if I come out to tral for the Team I told him that he could play Whichever position he wanted to play Jokingly I was like well all right well I want to be the running back and I said That that's great and you will at that Time football is like you know catching The ball throwing the ball scoring Touchdowns right that's what I wanted to Play pretty good I've not seen many Athletes in my lifetime to compare to Julius's athletic ability number 21 he's Retired and we gave him number 21 Because that's his shoe size the biggest Shoes we could find was a size 19 it Didn't slow him down he ran just as fast With the toes curled you know I rushed For a lot of yards scored a lot of Touchdowns ended up at UNC obviously
Homegrown so you kept hearing this this Guy this athlete that played basketball At Chapel Hill right from rebounds to Dunks I mean the power he was so gifted And he was just tipping the iceberg you Looking at kid that didn't have Spring Football practice cuz he was playing NCAA Basketball I went down to Chapel Hill And worked him out and when we came back From that workout we were like please Please don't take Julius number one Carolina Panthers select Julius Peppers Defensive end from North Carolina we Scouted him really hard we watch every Single game of his career we watched his Basketball uh film as well and you know We just had a great feeling about you Know what he was going to bring and how Much he would grow and some people uh Questioned whether he was deserving of The second pick in the draft but uh I Think he proved otherwise if I had to Sum up Julius Peppers in one Word gosh this is such a bad word but It's the Truth freak he's not just an athlete He's a freak athlete and he's probably The best athlete I've ever been around The speed the quickness I mean at his Size was Just yeah there's no other word just he Was he was a freak athlete we really we Ran out of adjectives we ran out of
Superlatives we just did because every Time he stepped on the field it was Something new it was something we hadn't Seen Before he was built to go chase Quarterbacks that was who he was if you Have a quarterback on the field you want To make sure Julius Peppers is another Time Z and pepper got to them 285 lb of Pure RI muscle and connective [Music] Tissue he was God's gift to the game of Football he's a Machine he was just a freak in Everything that he did his length speed Size and his strength forever will be Unmatched Julius is a guy that could Take over a Game picked off it's there's just so Many phenomenal plays that he's Made let me tell you something he either Going to give me my respect or I'm going Take it how you want it how you want it How you want It just PE baller one PE got him again That was a direct hit I can't handle you On the Outside hands off me man Rogers is sack Julius Peppers my first impression I was Like man if guys can I get bigger and Faster it just did it just Happened here comes this giant of a man And I immediately know who it is I Remember it vividly you picture Andre
The Giant walking into the room you know And it's just like this guy Not only was He was he wide and big but he was tall So I nervously got up and introduced Myself and I think I mumbled through He's like nice to meet you nice and cool You know he kept on going and I just Thought oh my my God I have to block That the toughest part of you know being Julius's teammate was every year on Pitcher day is cuz I had to stay next to Him it was Like I always stood on my tippy toes and Yet I was still extremely small compared To him um and I'm not lying every single Year I had to stand next to him and it Was a reminder his ability to really Play any position if he if he wanted to Um but he chose defensive end I had good Size for a football player right but the Guys that across from me were just as Big you know it wasn't one of those Things where it was just easy you had to Put work in so um I took pride and Putting the work in in season off Seas All the way around people talk about This rookie transition and I mean he Gave welcome to the NFL moments to other People I'm not even aware if he ever Really had one he just seemed like he His transitioned was so seamless j a Beast I've mean coming into Detroit as a Young kid and getting three sacks as a Rookie in that game got him again and
There's a fumble when we needed a play He would come through for us two years Before he got there we was one and 15 we Didn't even know we were going to have a Job getting him I think was a real big Part of you know that defense taking That next step we are watching the Blossoming of a superstar in the National Football League he made other Teams gain plan for him your offensive Planning had to begin with Julius Peppers you know when you're the Defensive Rookie of the Year that's Something that the entire league takes Note of he was getting double team Triple team chipped on Rucker reaped the Benefits cuz now he get single and he Was an unbelievable pass rusher in his Own right we weren't going to try to be Fancy we were just going to try to whoop You and play hard we stepped on the Field and we wanted to be bullies you Know what I mean we wanted to beat Everybody cuz we had the Tampa Bay Bucks In our division at the time and and they Were the bullies the 129 Rock fight and I think pep had a block field goal no a Basketball player at North Carolina that Was just a solid rejection right in the Middle it was a brutal game to watch it Was nasty it was rough that was a fun Game we just blocked three field goals And that was one of those games that Kind of like pinpoint who we were going
To be that year that's was their whole Goal they wanted to change the image of The Panther's defense they would eat Steel and spit rivets was a pretty tough Football team and we created our own Little domination on defense and then Started up front we had 50 sacks from Our defensive front that year and we Didn't really Blitz a whole lot they Took a lot of Pride they used to call Him the Carolina six-pack bucker Al Wallace Bron bucker Chris jenin Shane Burton and Julius Peppers that's a Carolina six-pack right there those six Guys right there they're the ones that Set the tone for what this defense was Going to be about I'm always very proud Of that that's one of the things things That I'm more proud of being a part of The teams that actually solidifi the Identity of this Organization the level of performance on Every defense he was a part of Rose Because everybody wanted to be at the Standard of Julius Peppers you know as a Defender you know we're all competitive Guys you know we want to be at that Level so when you have somebody like That on the field like Julius it's just Going to raise everybody's level around Them the talent I was an older guy Playing next to him and he made me Better he prolonged my career you know For the next 3 years just playing next
To him because I didn't have to do as Much work hit that boy let him know win The game right here man win the game Right here first live drill I'd got to Do against him caught me lifted me off My feet planted me flat on my back the First thing I thought was oh my God if This is how it is I'm a bust well he's Going against the best defensive end in All of football every day Jordan Gross Had a great career and obviously was Made better by Julius Peppers and vice Versa so it was iron sharpen the iron And it was it was great Battles the one thing that I think that Makes him so special is because he has All these gifts that everybody can See to me it was this leadership now it Was a quiet leadership but it was a Leadership that we Needed his work ethic everybody just Followed him coming backside eats him up At the 45 allows his actions to speak Yeah baby I'm going to show and lead by My play sometimes guys don't have to be Real vocal and speak all the time uh to Have leadership and uh he was definitely A leader all day man every play you hear Me don't look at the scoreboard don't Look at nothing got you go play lights Up football all right let's go boy all Right have a good one my leadership Style was more of example setting watch What I'm doing and see how to do it
Every game and every day in practice it Didn't surprise you that pep was going To make a big play midair fumble in Atlanta in 2004 I was on the field Shooting that game short drop he the Ball Peppers it in the air I get a sack On Michael Vic knock the ball out Julius Peppers is running by the ball and just Reaches out with one hand grabs it and Don't break stri he get to the end zone For the like of me I couldn't find where The ball went I just know that 90 was Going away from me in my camera julus Peppers is going to score a touchdown There wasn't anything he couldn't do on The Field seen Julius take over a Game playing Tampa and it's here and They throw a screen pass to Michael Pitman he rushed the quarterback they Throw a screen dump off screen to pman He to the 15 to the and Julius runs him Down from behind and tackles him he Chased Michael Pitman down when Pitman Had a 40 yard Head Start Tamp just shook Their head like this is not normal this Is not real there's so many great plays I can remember playing in Arizona a Quick screen you just plucked it out of The air picked off peon he will score Right side wow everything's going right For the Carolina P there's times where you know he he he Grabs interceptions that you know it
Been tough for DBS to to grab we're Playing Denver and 04 I can remember on that play watching Him because I was out of breath boot leg Again by plumber in trouble throw the End we dropping in the coverage on goal Line he intercepts a out route with one Hand picked off back up field it's Peppers down the far sideline I Intercepted in the end zone and now I'm Looking at 100 yards Rod Smith was Chasing him and he started zigzagging Trying to avoid him he's to the 40 he's To the 50 keep going baby don't run out Of gas and the only reason that he Didn't score a touchdown on that was 5,280 ft 20 10 5 down at the 2 Y Line I Remember thinking well I'll be damned he Is Human he ran out of gas let's back it up To the play before that they had a Running quarterback Jake plumber and They ran a naked boot there's the toss He rolls to his right I was the only Person that saw it I had to turn around And beine to try to stop him from Scoring right thinking about the corner Plumber doesn't get there and there's Peppers Julius Dove and hit him about The one or two yd line that was the play That preceded that next play man it's 290 lbs you know you got DBS that can't Break on the route and he's pulling away From everybody if he don't stumble on
The grass that's a touchdown Julius Peppers may not catch his breath after Those last two plays until he gets back To Carolina it was just Julius he did Things that people just laughed because It was no one else could do what Julius Could Do the football part of it is all well Documented it's how much it meant to him How much he cared and what a great Person he was I mean I understand he's Coaching flag football for youth down in Florida and that's just kind of the Person he is come on y'all come on Guys be head around Mar Pushups we got to go man the game about To start it's great to be out here I Wouldn't trade it for the world you know Go Andy let's go good my cherish these Moments and um I'm having fun it's fun For me as well they having fun out here I'm having fun too we talk about the Plays on the field but we don't have Enough time to talk about these guys and The personalities of what they do off The field like I can tell you right now The stuff that people don't know about p Is what he does in the community I I Don't get emotional but this is Overwhelming somebody's actually here to Help me we all need help sometimes man Yeah appreciate what you do and helping Others and that's something that is
Remarkable especially in today's age Like he has impacted community and he Doesn't put it on a billboard you guys Playing great all right just keep Pulling Flags just keep doing what you Doing out here all right 1 2 3 let's go Go let's Go go go Go we want to win we definitely want to Win because it ain't no fun when you Losing but it's more important the Lessons the life lessons that we teach Them through the game you had a couple Runs today caught up you caught a couple Passes you ran good you got some yards You getting better man he's a very Compassionate caring deep Intellectual guy that we've been lucky To be around I don't think he took Really that much pleasure in inflicting Such trauma as Pain right Alex come on baby but I think He would have been very happy to help Them up dust them off ask them if They're all right and then Crush their Dreams and hopes on the very next play When he came back for a second Tour of Duty it seemed like he was there to to Just enjoy to support to help coach the Young guys y'all make y' Inside Moves Man just rush cut it Loose there we go There we go there we go the sooner you Get engaged with him and get off of him The faster you going to have a chance to
Make a play he's one of those guys that He doesn't say a whole lot but when he Talks you listen to him don't be offside Yeah don't be offside got to take that Inside move cuz that's his Escape Route Up and to the right got to keep pounding Them keep pounding them come on come on Come on talk man talk talk it out with Those last years it was a gift to be Able to give back to see other guys grow And Excel hey get it next time don't Worry about that shake it off One as a fan of this game and a fan of The Carolina Panthers it was great to See him come back [Music] Home hey you know this song Son so good so good Yeah Yeah I took pride in the full circle Moments being able to play here as a Young guy going into my veteran years And leaving but also coming back I'm Happy to have come back and played my Last down as a Carolina Panther as far as my career here I think About all of the the great memories that We Have B con things that we did off the Field the time spent the memory shared It was a great ride it was a great Experience first I think of all of my Teammates all of the great guys I that I Played with and that I learned from and
I think about just blue Collard Hardworking hard-nosed football team we Are watching the blossoming of a Superstar in the National Football League he was a great teammate for a guy Who was a star you wouldn't know know it By being around it he came in here Highly touted North Carolina kid that Was a lot of pressure on him and he Handled it so well it you know it was a Little bit of a a challenge I I say Because of the expectations the pressure But once I got here I had the most fun That anybody could have picked off Peppers evil scor and peppers got two of And who is it with the football that's Julius Peppers he was God's gift to the Game of football you know just the Things he was able to do with this Almost superhuman like PE in the air Down the sideline no one's going to Touch him Julius Peppers is going to Score a touchdown of exceptional Quickness exceptional perception big Strong fast he had everything you're Looking for and as good as he was on the Football field he's 10 times better the Man off the field I think that Julius Just embodies what it is to be a Carolina Panther Great dad great husband and on the field He he gave it his All never coached anybody like him and
He was just a generational Talent it's an honor to be part of this Group honestly and to be able to you Know in the future when I come back to Games you know with my kids they'll be Able to come and look up and see our Name up in the Bom picked off it's Peppers greasy Catchup for it five Touchdown Julius [Music] Peppers
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