Carolina Panthers legend Julius Peppers hangs up the cleats
The Carolina Panthers legend announced his retirement on Friday.
It seems that this is been an off-season of change and as result, many Carolina Panthers fan-favorites have called it quits. Friday, Panther legend Julius Peppers was just the latest to call it quits and hang up the cleats.
The future Hall of Famer released a video on the Panthers website as a thank you note to the fans of Carolina Panthers Nation. Admittedly, it was tough to watch as Peppers practically grew up as a member of the Panthers and in a career that came full-circle, he ended up with them as his final season in the National Football League soldiered on.
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Drafted as the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, Peppers was viewed as a player that could be the anchor of a defense for years to come. The predictions were right about the University of North Carolina product as he would put together a great career that seemed destined from the get-go. He recorded 12 sacks in his rookie season, 12 of the 159.5 that he would accumulate during his 17-year career. He was truly a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line.
He would make stops in Chicago and Green Bay, but those never felt right. For Peppers to wear anything other than a Panthers uniform seemed almost wrong. He would make back-to-back Pro Bowls with the Bears in 2011, so at the very least, Panthers fans could appreciate his success. A three-year stop in Green Bay also yielded a Pro Bowl in the 2015 season. Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before “Pep” would come home.
In March 2017, he signed a one-year contract with the Panthers returning home. While some may have viewed it as a swansong of sorts given his age and where he was at this point in his career, Peppers proved people wrong. He recorded 11 sacks for Carolina in 2017, proving that he still had quite a bit left in the tank. In 2018, he played in all 16 games, starting in eight of them and recorded five sacks, 14 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. That is pretty impressive for a guy who is 39 years young.
From the fields of Chapel Hill, to the home confines of Charlotte, Peppers embodied Carolina football perhaps better than any other player. He played hard, worked hard, and did his part in the community. He was always a player that you knew you could count on in a big situation. Furthermore, he was the consummate professional.
Now, he can rest and reflect on what has been a tremendous career. Thank you Pep for everything you have done both on and off the field. You will be missed and will always be a staple of Carolina Panthers football.