CANTON, Ohio (WNCN) – The Pro Football Hall of Fame officially welcomed seven new members into its elite club during their induction ceremony on Saturday, including one of the best to ever play on the gridiron in North Carolina.
Former University of North Carolina football standout and Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers became immortalized in football history as the only first-ballot Hall of Famer in the 2024 class. He’s only the third Tar Heel to be enshrined in Canton, along with Chris Hanburger and Lawrence Taylor.
“I’ve been blessed and fortunate to have many great people in my life, and those relationships, those friendships, are what’ll make you a success,” Peppers said.
“Julius Peppers’ dedication to football at every level epitomizes what a Hall of Famer should be, and we congratulate him wholeheartedly on this much-deserved honor,” UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. “He is not only one of the greatest to play football at Carolina, but also one of the greatest to play the game, period. We applaud and appreciate his talent, his generosity and his legacy.”
Selected by the Carolina Panthers as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, the Wilson native embarked on a 17-year pro career, accumulating three All-Pro selections and nine Pro Bowl appearances. In addition to spending 10 years with the Panthers, he starred for the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers before retiring at the end of the 2018 season.
Peppers concluded his storied career with 159.5 sacks, which ranks fourth most all-time since becoming an official statistic in 1982. He currently stands as the only player ever to record at least 150 sacks and 10 interceptions. He tallied the second-most forced fumbles (52) and the third-most tackles for loss (175) in NFL history. Other notable accomplishments include winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002.
He was also inducted into the Carolina Panthers Hall of Honor last year. Meanwhile, Peppers makes history as the first Panthers’ draft pick to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Congratulations to Julius Peppers on his well-earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper said in a statement. “As dynamic as Julius was on the field, he’s even more special as a person and represents the best of the Panthers and the Carolinas. A fierce competitor who was selfless and extraordinarily driven to help the team win, there is no one more deserving of this honor.”
Before taking his talents to the NFL, Peppers was a two-sport star for the Tar Heels, playing both football and basketball. He’s the only athlete to have played in both the NCAA Final Four and the Super Bowl.
Stepping foot on campus in 1999, he quickly acquired a reputation as a menace in the backfield. Securing first-team All-American accolades in 2001, Peppers also took home the Chuck Bednarik Award for the nation’s top defensive player as well as the Rotary Lombardi Award, which was given at the time to the top interior lineman in the country.
Over his three years in Chapel Hill, Peppers racked up 177 tackles, 30.5 sacks, five interceptions, two interceptions returned for touchdowns, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one fumble returned for another score. Earlier this year, he was chosen as one of the latest inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame, becoming the 10th representative from UNC and the seventh Tar Heel player in history to earn the honor.
The 44-year-old is also a part of the UNC Sports Hall of Fame.
“What a couple of months for Julius Peppers with the announcements that he’ll be inducted into both the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame this year,” UNC football head coach Mack Brown said in a statement. “We’ve always believed that Julius is one of the greatest football players to ever put on the pads and the announcement that he’ll be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame confirms it. We couldn’t be prouder of Julius for the person, father, husband and friend he’s become and it’s so rewarding to see him recognized for his significant accomplishments on the football field. He is now officially one of the greatest of all time and we can’t congratulate him enough.”
He dominated at almost every level of the sport, especially during his playing days at Southern Nash High School in Bailey. As a sophomore, he made a name for himself as one of the best running backs in North Carolina, gathering 1,044 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first year of varsity football.
Peppers wrapped up his high school career with 3,501 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns, while also emerging as one of the best defensive linemen in the Carolinas. As a senior, he was named Male Athlete of the Year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association for his multi-sport performance in football, basketball and track.