Carolina Panthers teammate struggles to contextualize Julius Peppers' greatness

Julius Peppers is one of the greatest defensive ends of all time. He's unquestionably one of the Carolina Panthers' best-ever players. Now, the legendary figure is about to take his rightful place among the NFL immortals.

Peppers was a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer early in his career. The two-way college athlete at North Carolina became the No. 2 overall selection in the 2002 NFL Draft. What followed was an exceptional career that few occupying a pass-rushing position have matched before or since.

He wasn't a big talker. Peppers learned early on that actions spoke far louder than words. He was the definition of a silent assassin - someone feared by his mere presence on the field.

Every offensive tackle knew they were in for the toughest challenge imaginable when No. 90 came to town. Whether he was a flourishing rookie or gaining 11 sacks at 37 years old during his penultimate campaign in 2017, the same mindset remained.

Former Carolina Panthers star Jordan Gross lifts the lid on Julius Peppers' greatness

Former Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross clashed with Peppers more than most. They pitted wits daily in practice after the offensive lineman was taken No. 8 overall the following year. His ex-teammate provided a window into how difficult it was. Something he still struggles to contextualize to this day based on comments via the team's website.

"I hated going against him in half-line run in practice just as much as I hated going against him in one-on-one pass pro, and that's not right. Like when I would go against him, I knew, OK, there's nobody better in today's NFL. You just know he's going to be a Hall of Famer, but you don't know that when it's happening. And you weren't able to reflect on the body of work at the time and realized he'd end up one of the top sack guys of all time. That doesn't happen until later. We're kind of conditioned to rank things or declare the best ever. And he was just at that level for 17 years, basically, which doesn't happen. So sometimes I struggle to put him in the context."

- Jordan Gross via Panthers.com

There won't be a dry eye in the house when Peppers gets his gold jacket later today (Saturday). The adulation is nothing more than the player deserves after giving everything to the game and leaving everything out on the field. This production and work ethic stood the test of time - 159.5 sacks, three All-Pros, nine Pro Bowls, and two All-Decade Team distinctions tell their own story.

Peppers spent some time away from the Panthers after a contract stalemate forced his departure - where he played for the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers - but Charlotte will always be home. It was only right he came back to conclude his career in Carolina. The fact he's around the team a lot more these days can only serve as inspiration through the toughest times.

After Sam Mills' long-awaited Canton induction, Peppers is the second Panthers uniform to be enshrined. There will be more in the coming years, with wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. still awaiting his call and linebacker Luke Kuechly set for first-time Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025.

That's for the future. For now, it's Peppers' time.

There have been a plethora of first-ballot inductees over the years. Few are more deserving than this one.

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