CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Julius Peppers remembers the long, grueling dawn-until-dusk summer days he spent working in the cotton and cucumbers fields of North Carolina’s Nash County and dealing with the heat.
It wasn’t easy at the time, spending every summer from when he was 9 years old until he graduated high school in the 90-degree conditions.
But he doesn’t regret it for a minute.
Peppers realized early on it wasn’t what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, and he said it’s ultimately what drove him to work so hard on the football field and helped him earn a football scholarship to North Carolina.
It’s what drove him to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, starting a 17-year NFL career that included three All-Pro selections and nine Pro Bowls.
And, it’s what led to Peppers receiving what he called his ultimate achievement, being selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“That was a huge motivating factor for me, because I wanted a better life,” Peppers told The Associated Press.
“But I’m grateful for that, because that is something that instilled work ethic, perseverance and things like that to help me get to Chapel Hill and then into the league.”
It didn’t hurt that Peppers was a gifted athlete.
At 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, he possessed incredible strength and quickness and could run the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds. To watch Peppers practice was a sight to behold as he tossed around blocking dummies like pillows, always a step or two faster and stronger than the other edge rushers.
Longtime NFL quarterback Andy Dalton remembers walking out to midfield at Chicago’s Solider Field for the coin toss before the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2013 season opener against the Bears and shaking hands with Peppers.
“I remember thinking that guy is different than everybody else on this field,” Dalton said.
From that point on, Dalton made sure to know exactly where Peppers was at all times - because he didn’t want to get hit by him.
“One time we had protection where the tight end was supposed to go backside and block him, and I’m like, ‘please, get your job done,’” Dalton said. “When you were playing him, there was always this, ‘OK, where is he at?’ And he wasn’t ever hard to find.”
Former NFL defensive end Mike Rucker spent six seasons in the locker next to Peppers at Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium and found himself the beneficiary of plenty of sacks because Peppers was commanding so many double teams on the other side of the line, leaving him with one-on-one matchups.
Rucker said Peppers was “Reggie White and Kevin Greene rolled into one,” and doesn’t think there has been another player in the league like him since his retirement in 2018.
Dom Capers coached Peppers in Green Bay when he was asked to switch to outside linebacker.
Capers said not only was Peppers supremely talented physically, but he would regularly find him in the front row of team meetings. While Peppers was never a rah-rah player, Capers said he was extremely well respected in the locker room.
“He didn’t say a whole lot but when he spoke, everybody listened,” Capers said. “He had a combination of rare physical abilities and all of the intangibles you look for in a Hall of Famer. Such a deserved honor.”
Peppers chased opposing quarterbacks for nearly two decades, racking up 159 1/2 sacks - fourth most in NFL history. He had 10 double-digit sack seasons, forced 52 fumbles and had 11 interceptions.
He was a member of two all-decade teams.
It seemed only fitting that the Panthers would draft the Bailey, North Carolina, native and keep him in his home state after the then-expansion Houston Texans passed on him and selected quarterback David Carr first overall in 2002.
Peppers spent his first eight seasons in Carolina, but the Panthers opted not to use the franchise tag on him after his fifth Pro Bowl selection. He signed with the Bears as a free agent, a move that stunned Panthers fans.
He would play four seasons in Chicago, then three more with the Green Bay Packers before returning to Carolina for two seasons.
Leaving Carolina in 2009 didn’t sit well with some Panthers fans, who felt the home state kid had betrayed his team. But Peppers said he never regretted the move and welcomed the opportunity to finally see what life was about outside of North Carolina after playing high school, college and professional ball there.
“I needed to make that change, not just for football reasons but for my own personal growth and development,” Peppers said. “I felt like I needed a change of scenery and it was time. I don’t have any regrets about that.”
He also was intrigued by the idea of playing as a “stand up” pass rusher in a 3-4 defense in Chicago, an opportunity he was never afforded in Carolina.
But things came full circle when Peppers returned to Carolina.
He called it a “perfect ending” to his career.
On Aug., 3, Peppers will become the first player drafted by the Panthers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, making it on the first ballot - since the team came into the league in 1995.
“I’m sure there will be a few more Carolina Panthers that will be drafted into the Hall soon, but to be the first one I think is always kind of special to do something,” Peppers said. “Anytime you’re the first, it’s a special thing.”
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