Peppers cements place in Panthers history with All-Decade selection

Julius Peppers’ career with the Panthers

Big things were expected from Julius Peppers when he was taken with the second overall selection by the Carolina Panthers in 2002. The former North Carolina standout wasted no time in making his presence felt at the next level.

Peppers rose to superstardom during his rookie season. He notched 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, 35 combine tackles, five pass deflections and an interception from just 12 games.

This was enough for Peppers to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. But his production dipped slightly during his sophomore campaign with seven sacks, three forced fumbles, and three pass deflections.

Any thoughts that Peppers’ rookie campaign was a flash in the pan were quickly dispelled over the next two seasons. The player was a dominant pass-rusher and recorded 21.5 sacks, 114 tackles, six forced fumbles, and 15 pass deflection from 2004-5.

He became the undisputed leader of the Panthers’ defense during this time. It was someone that would become a trend during his career with the organization. Peppers recorded double-digit sacks in three of his final four years of the player’s first spell with the organization.

After a six-year absence, Peppers made a welcome return to Carolina in 2017. He proved there was still life in the old dog on his way to 16 sacks, four forced fumbles, six pass deflections, and 55 combined tackles.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Peppers was named first-team All-Pro three times, second-team All-Pro on three occasions and made nine Pro Bowls.