Julius Peppers facts for kids
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Peppers at the 2012 Pro Bowl
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| No. 90, 56 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end, linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 18, 1980 Wilson, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 295 lb (134 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Southern Nash (Bailey, North Carolina) | ||||||||||||
| College: | North Carolina (1998–2001) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Julius Frazier Peppers (born January 18, 1980) is a former professional football player. He played as a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL).
Peppers played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was chosen by the Carolina Panthers as the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft. He also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 to 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. He returned to the Panthers for the 2017 and 2018 seasons before retiring.
Julius Peppers was chosen for the Pro Bowl nine times. He was also named to the All-Pro teams six times. In his first year, he won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2002. He was part of both the 2000s and NFL 2010s All-Decade Teams. In 2024, Peppers was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the first player drafted by the Carolina Panthers to receive this honor.
Contents
- Early Life and High School Sports
- College Career at North Carolina
- Professional Football Career
- Post-Playing Career
- NFL Awards and Honors
- NFL Records and Accomplishments
- Personal Life
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and High School Sports
Julius Peppers was born in Wilson, North Carolina. He grew up in a nearby town called Bailey. He went to Southern Nash High School. There, he played football for Coach Ray Davis.
When Peppers was a freshman, he had never played football before. But his coach saw his potential. By his senior year, Peppers was 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 225 pounds. He played both running back and defensive lineman. He ended his high school career with 3,501 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns. He was also one of the best defensive linemen in his state.
Peppers was also a talented basketball player. He was named all-conference for four years as a power forward. In 1998, his high school won the state championship in track. Peppers helped by winning the 4×400 meter team relay. He also finished second in the triple jump. In his senior year, he was named an All-America player in football. He was also named Male Athlete of the Year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
College Career at North Carolina
Peppers went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He played defensive end for the Tar Heels from 1998 to 2001. In his first year, 1998, he did not play in games (this is called being redshirted).
In 2000, his sophomore year, Peppers led the country with 15 quarterback sacks. He was named first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He also earned second-team All-American honors. In 2001, his junior year, he was again first-team All-ACC. He was also recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American. He won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player in the nation. He also won the Lombardi Award for best college lineman and the Bill Willis Trophy for best defensive lineman.
During his three seasons at North Carolina, Peppers started 33 out of 34 games. He is second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks. He also made 167 tackles and had 5 interceptions. He returned 2 interceptions and 1 fumble for touchdowns.
Playing College Basketball
While at the University of North Carolina, Peppers also played on the men's basketball team. He was a reserve player on the 1999–2000 team. This team made it to the Final Four tournament. He also played on the 2000–01 basketball team. In the NCAA Tournament, Peppers scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a game. After that season, Peppers decided to focus only on football.
College Awards and Honors
- Sporting News Freshman All-American (1999)
- First-team All-ACC (2000, 2001)
- Second-team Associated Press All-American (2000)
- Division I-A sacks leader (2000)
- Consensus All-American (2001)
- Chuck Bednarik Award (2001)
- Bill Willis Trophy (2001)
- Lombardi Award (2001)
Professional Football Career
Julius Peppers was a top player coming into the 2002 NFL draft. Many people compared him to famous Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.
Carolina Panthers (First Time)
The Carolina Panthers picked Peppers second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft.
2002 Season: Rookie Success
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In his first NFL game on September 8, 2002, Peppers helped the Panthers win against the Baltimore Ravens. He deflected a pass that led to an interception, securing a 10–7 victory. In his second game, he had three sacks and forced a fumble against the Detroit Lions.
Later that season, against the Dallas Cowboys, Peppers had another three sacks. He also forced a fumble and made an interception. This tied the NFL rookie record for games with three sacks. Peppers helped the Panthers' defense improve greatly. They went from last in the league to second in one season. He finished his rookie year with 12 sacks and five forced fumbles. For his great play, he won the NFL Rookie of the Month award in October 2002. He also earned the 2002 Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
2003 Season: Super Bowl Run
In his second season, Peppers was a key part of the Panthers' strong defensive line. This defense helped the Panthers reach the Super Bowl for the first time. Peppers had seven sacks and 46 tackles that season.
In the playoffs, he made big plays. Against the Dallas Cowboys, he intercepted a pass and returned it 34 yards. The Panthers won 29–10. Against the St. Louis Rams, he had a sack and helped the Panthers win in double overtime. In the NFC Championship, Peppers helped the defense hold the Eagles to just three points. The Panthers won 14–3.
The Panthers played the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Peppers had two tackles in their close 32–29 loss. Peppers and Donovan McNabb are the only players to have played in both the NCAA men's basketball Final Four and the NFL's Super Bowl.
2004 Season: Record-Breaking Plays
In 2004, Peppers made NFL history. In Week 5, he intercepted a pass and returned it 97 yards. This was an NFL record for a defensive lineman. In Week 12, he blocked a field goal and returned an interception 46 yards for his first career touchdown. He also recovered a fumble and ran it 60 yards for another touchdown in Week 15.
Peppers set an NFL record with 143 interception return yards in a single season by a defensive lineman. He also had 203 combined interception and fumble return yards. He finished the season with 11 sacks and two defensive touchdowns. He was named to his first NFL Pro Bowl and the NFL's All-Pro First-Team.
2005 Season: Playing Through Injury
In 2005, Peppers broke a bone in his right hand but kept playing with a cast. He had two games with three sacks. One was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and another against the Dallas Cowboys. He finished the season with 10.5 sacks. He made his second Pro Bowl.
In the playoffs, Peppers helped the Panthers shut out the New York Giants. He then helped them win against the Chicago Bears. He played with a hurt shoulder in the NFC Championship game, where the Panthers lost.
2006 Season: All-Time Sacks Leader
Peppers had another strong season in 2006 with two more three-sack games. In Week 6, he became the Panthers' all-time sacks leader. He finished the season with 13 sacks. His 18 tackles for loss led the NFL. He earned his third straight Pro Bowl trip and was named NFL First-Team All-Pro for the second time.
2007-2009 Seasons: Final Years with Panthers
In 2007, Peppers had a quieter season with 2.5 sacks. He missed the last two games due to a knee injury.
In 2008, Peppers had a great comeback year. He recorded a career-high 14.5 sacks. He earned his fourth Pro Bowl selection and Second-Team All-Pro honors. After the season, he wanted to explore playing for another team. However, the Panthers kept him with a special "franchise tag."
In 2009, Peppers played his last season in his first time with the Panthers. He had 10.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and two interceptions. One interception was returned for a 13-yard touchdown. He was voted to his fifth Pro Bowl and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors. In 2010, the Panthers decided not to keep him with the franchise tag, making him a free agent.
Chicago Bears
2010-2013 Seasons: Impact in Chicago
On March 5, 2010, the Chicago Bears signed Peppers. He made an immediate impact, sacking the quarterback and forcing a fumble in his first game. In Week 3 against the Packers, he blocked a field goal that helped the Bears win. In Week 5, he intercepted a pass against his former team, the Panthers, and silenced the booing crowd.
Peppers had his first three-sack game as a Bear in Week 11. He finished the 2010 season with 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions. He was voted to his sixth Pro Bowl and was named First-Team All-Pro. He helped the Bears reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006. They won their first playoff game but lost to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship.
In 2011, Peppers led the Bears' defense with 11 sacks. He played much of the season with a knee injury. In Week 17, he got his 100th career sack, becoming the 28th player in NFL history to do so. He was elected to his seventh Pro Bowl.
In 2012, Peppers recorded 11.5 sacks. He became the first Bears player since 1993 to have at least 11 sacks in two straight seasons. He was named to his eighth Pro Bowl and the All-Pro Second Team. In 2013, Peppers had 7 sacks. He returned a fumble recovery 42 yards for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. On March 11, 2014, the Bears released Peppers.
Green Bay Packers
2014-2016 Seasons: Continued Success
Peppers signed a three-year deal with the Green Bay Packers on March 15, 2014. In Week 5, he recorded his tenth career interception and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown. He became the first player in NFL history with at least 100 sacks and 10 interceptions. He also became the first player since 1982 to have a half-sack and an interception-return touchdown in three different games.
In Week 11, Peppers returned another interception 52 yards for a touchdown. This made him the first player in NFL history with at least 100 sacks and four interception-return touchdowns. He finished the 2014 season with 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 2 defensive touchdowns. He was a dominant force in the playoffs, helping the Packers reach the NFC Championship game.
In 2015, Peppers started his 14th NFL season. He passed Derrick Thomas for 15th most sacks in NFL history. In Week 15, he passed Lawrence Taylor for 10th place on the all-time NFL sacks list with 135 career sacks. He finished the season with 10.5 sacks and was selected to his ninth Pro Bowl. He helped the Packers win their Wild Card playoff game.
In 2016, Peppers continued to climb the all-time sack list. In Week 13, he passed Michael Strahan for fifth place with 142.5 sacks. He finished the season with 7.5 sacks. He helped the Packers win two playoff games before losing in the NFC Championship.
Carolina Panthers (Second Time)
2017-2018 Seasons: Coming Home
On March 10, 2017, Peppers signed a one-year contract to return to the Carolina Panthers. He said he missed his home state team and wanted to play for them again. He wore his old jersey number, 90.
In Week 2, in his homecoming game in Charlotte, Peppers received a huge standing ovation. He had a great performance with 6 tackles and 2 sacks. In Week 4, he had another dominant game with 2 sacks against the New England Patriots. For his efforts, he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the seventh time. In Week 6, he recorded his 150th career sack, becoming the fifth player in NFL history to reach that milestone. He also tied for second all-time in forced fumbles. In Week 15, he recorded his 10th season with double-digit sacks, becoming only the fourth player in NFL history to do so. He also became only the third player aged 37 or older to record at least 10 sacks in a season.
Peppers finished the 2017 season with 11 sacks. He helped the Panthers make the playoffs, where they lost a close game to the New Orleans Saints.
In 2018, Peppers signed another one-year contract with the Panthers. In Week 6, he recorded his 50th career forced fumble, becoming only the second player in NFL history to do so. In Week 7, he had a sack and forced fumble late in the game to seal a Panthers victory. In Week 17, in what would be his last NFL game, he had another strong performance with 1 sack and 2 tackles for loss.
After a 17-year career, Julius Peppers announced his retirement on February 1, 2019. He finished his career with 159.5 sacks (fourth most all-time). He also had 51 forced fumbles (second most all-time) and 13 blocked kicks (second most all-time). He played in 266 games, the sixth most by a defensive player in NFL history.
Post-Playing Career
On May 8, 2019, Peppers was hired by the Carolina Panthers as a special assistant for business operations.
NFL Awards and Honors
- NFL Rookie of the Month (October 2002)
- 2002 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie Team (2002)
- 2004 NFC Defensive Player of the Year
- 2004 NFL Alumni Defensive Lineman of the Year
- 2013 Brian Piccolo Award
- 2018 Panthers' Ed Block Courage Award
- NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
- NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
- Pro-Football-Reference All 2000s Team
- 100 Sacks Club
- 9× NFC Pro Bowl (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015)
- 3× All-Pro First Team (2004, 2006, 2010)
- 3× All-Pro Second Team (2008, 2009, 2012)
- 7× NFC Defensive Player of the Week
- 5× NFC Defensive Player of the Month (November 2004, October 2006, November 2008, November 2010, November 2011)
- Carolina Panthers Hall of Honor (2023)
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (2024)
NFL Records and Accomplishments
- Fourth most sacks in NFL history (since 1982): 159.5
- Tied for third most seasons with 10+ sacks: 10
- Tied for fifth most games with at least three sacks: 9
- Tied for fifth most games with multiple sacks: 37
- Second most forced fumbles in NFL history: 52
- Second most interceptions by a defensive lineman in NFL history: 9
- 11 career interceptions (including time as a linebacker)
- Most interception return yards by a defensive lineman in NFL history: 192 yards
- 293 career interception return yards (including time as a linebacker)
- Most interception return yards in a single season by a defensive lineman: 143 yards
- Most interception return yards in a single game by a defensive lineman: 97 yards
- Longest interception return by a defensive lineman: 97 yards
- Most combined interception and fumble return yards by a defensive lineman in a single season (since 1970 NFL merger): 203 yards
- Tied for second most interceptions returned for a touchdown by a defensive lineman: 2
- Four career interceptions returned for a touchdown (including time as a linebacker)
- Second most passes defensed by a defensive lineman: 68
- 82 career passes defensed (including time as a linebacker)
- Second most blocked kicks in NFL history: 13
- Only player in NFL history with at least 100 sacks and 10 interceptions
- Only player in NFL history with 100+ sacks and four interceptions returned for touchdowns
- Only player in NFL history with at least 150 sacks and 10 interceptions
- Peppers has three career games with at least a half-sack and an interception-return touchdown, the most such games since sacks became official in 1982.
Panthers Franchise Records
- Most career sacks: 97
- Most career forced fumbles: 34
Personal Life
In February 2009, Peppers gave $500,000 to a scholarship program at his old college, the University of North Carolina. This scholarship helps black students who show great potential for academic success.
Images for kids
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Peppers in 2014 training camp
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Peppers in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Julius Peppers para niños
