Will Julius Peppers go down as a top 10 defensive player of all time?

[PatsFan2003]

This seems vaguely familiar to the Jay Cutler thread.

I think of Peppers as an underachiever. He could have been great, instead he was very good

 

[Iggloo]

Peppers is nowhere close to being a top 10 defensive player of all time.

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Peppers is nowhere close to being a top 10 defensive player of all time.

WRONG. By the time Peppers retires he will have added more stats and accolades to his already HOF career, very easily could be considered a top 10 defensive player.

 

[broncosmitty]

WRONG. By the time Peppers retires he will have added more stats and accolades to his already HOF career, very easily could be considered a top 10 defensive player.

When did you first fall in love?

 

[sonnyblack65]

WRONG. By the time Peppers retires he will have added more stats and accolades to his already career, very easily could be considered a top 10 defensive player Carolina player .

 

[flyerhawk]

I can think of 10 defensive players off the top of my head that were far better.

I don't even think he is a top 10 defensive end.

 

[JMR]

I can think of 10 defensive players off the top of my head that were far better.

I don't even think he is a top 10 defensive end.

Concur, because more stats doesn't automatically indicate better player. Shoot, there's probably 3 players in Seattle's secondary right now who are better players than Peppers ever was. They don't yet have more stats, but they are better football players.

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Concur, because more stats doesn't automatically indicate better player. Shoot, there's probably 3 players in Seattle's secondary right now who are better players than Peppers ever was. They don't yet have more stats, but they are better football players.

What are you smoking on bro? It's tuned you retarded brah. Peppers is one of the most dominant football players of ALL TIME. Sherman, Thomas, Chancellor will be lucky to even sniff the HOF.

Peppers doesn't just pad his stats, he make game changing plays, dominates by taking on double team allowing other teammates to make PLAYS. Moves all over the front 7 creating mismatches with his versatility. Ya need to watch some game tape on Peppers to realize how great he is/was I reckon. He, along with Ray Lewis and J.J. Watt will go down as this generations most dominant defenders.

 

[PredatorPeppers]

I can think of 10 defensive players off the top of my head that were far better.

I don't even think he is a top 10 defensive end.

Maybe you just shouldn't think then.

 

[JMR]

What are you smoking on bro? It's tuned you retarded brah. Peppers is one of the most dominant football players of ALL TIME. Sherman, Thomas, Chancellor will be lucky to even sniff the HOF.

Yeah, ok. Seems you're on an island with this one. Peppers is a good NFL DE. He's never been considered the best at his position in any season he's been in the league. He's certainly not going down as one of the 10 been defensive players of all time. That is just absurd. The overwhelming disagreement in this thread should illuminate that.

 

[sonnyblack65]

Your right Mr Peepers Julian is very good

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Yeah, ok. Seems you're on an island with this one. Peppers is a good NFL DE. He's never been considered the best at his position in any season he's been in the league. He's certainly not going down as one of the 10 been defensive players of all time. That is just absurd. The overwhelming disagreement in this thread should illuminate that.

Quiet Peppers spices up Carolina defense - USATODAY.com

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Every Play Counts: Julius Peppers

"Peppers showed on Sunday that he's not just a good player. He's the best defensive player in the NFL."

NFL's best: Julius Peppers and the top 10 DE's of 2011 - USATODAY.com
Deacon Jones:
"Julius Peppers impresses me as much as anyone," Jones says. "He has it all."

Yet last season Julius Peppers demonstrated he was fully capable of embodying Jones' notion of a complete defensive end during a career rebirth after signing with the Chicago Bears. Peppers was ranked as the game's best defensive end by USA TODAY Sports Weekly's panel of NFL writers and editors.

NFL rankings: Julius Peppers tops piquant pack of pass-rushing defensive ends | NFL | Sporting News

1. Julius Peppers, Chicago Bears

It's not just the sacks he gets. It's the double-team attention he draws that allows teammates to make plays. While he excels as a pass rusher, Peppers is underrated against the run. He is a better all-around player since joining the Bears and forces opposing offenses to account for him on every play.

Joe Theismann:
After watching Peppers notch three sacks, bat down a pass and recover a fumble in a 24-10 win against Tampa Bay, ESPNMonday Night Football analyst Joe Theismann put Peppers in rarefied air, comparing him to Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

"This is the best way to put in perspective the way we viewed Lawrence, and I think this is the way people should view Julius," Theismann says. "When coaches draw up defenses, they use letters to denote defensive players: 'C' for corner, 'S' for safety, so on. In Washington, we would use letters until it came to Lawrence. For him, we used No. 56, and it was always bigger than everything else. That visually put everything into context, saying, 'This guy is better than anybody else on that board.' "

Aikman: Peppers Is A Game-Changer « CBS Chicago
Troy Aikman:
For Aikman, the Bears allowing Peppers to attack the middle of an offensive line is reminiscent of one of the greatest defensive linemen in the history of the game he used to play against.

“Going to back to when I was playing, they used to do that, the Philadelphia Eagles did, with Reggie White,” Aikman said. “You think you know where he’s going to be, or you anticipate that he’s going to be here most of the time, but then you know he’s going to move up and down that offensive line until he finds a matchup that he feels good about. That puts some stress on an offense.”

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...118_1_three-technique-famer-dan-hampton-bears
Dan Hampton:
The Bears' other pass rushers might benefit from Peppers the DT more than Peppers the DE.
"As a defensive end you can affect (only) so much of what happens," Hampton said. "If they turn a guard to you or chip you with a tight end, you're basically going to be a non-factor. But if you're coming up the middle, with his (6-foot-7, 287-pound) frame, it's a force. It's a deal breaker."

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2010/11/29/hampton-peppers-is-leader-of-defense/
Dan Hampton:
“Julius Peppers is the guy, the lead dog that is bringing this group from a mediocre group to a group that is throwing people around” Hampton said. “They were physical. They were relentless…Julius Peppers has been a huge influence on how, maybe, the way they prepare, but [also] the way they’re playing. And that’s the big thing.”

http://www.si.com/nfl/2011/01/18/nfl-all-pro-team
Peter King:
Though Peppers had but eight sacks this year, he had a huge impact on a defense that went from 21st in the league in points allowed in 2009 to fourth this year; from 4.3 yards per rush last year to 3.7 this year; from 29 touchdown passes surrendered last year to 14 this year. He pushes the pocket. He buzzes around the quarterback. He makes other guys -- Israel Idonije, Tommie Harris -- better.There's no question the return of Brian Urlacher at the pivot point of the defense has been a significant addition, but Peppers has been the most important reason the Bears have become the Monsters of the Midway again, and that's why he's my defensive player of the year.
He's the John Stockton of the Bears defense, the guy who makes everyone around him better.


http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/3656/rexs-favorite-bear
Rex Ryan:
Of course, I also realize that this guy is the best there is.
"He’s another guy, you can’t throw over him," Ryan said. "That’s what’s so underrated about him. You can try to throw intermediate passes over him ... Well, maybe you can or maybe you can’t. The guy’s wingspan is incredible. His height, wingspan. It’s just incredible how many plays he makes. He’ll bat it down and then he’ll catch it. There’s very few Julius Peppers’ walking the face of this earth."

http://deadspin.com/5611609/brian-urlacher-thinks-julius-peppers-is-the-best-player-hes-ever-seen
Brian Urlacher:
"I'll say this about Peppers, he's the best football player I've ever seen. He's 300 pounds. He does things DBs are doing. I don't know how we got him, but I'm glad we did."

http://www.yardbarker.com/
Lovie Smith:
"Julius Peppers is arguably the best player in the NFL, that is what I think. I get a chance to watch him. The things he does, you know, he will very seldom lead the league in sacks because he gets respect always double team, triple team. But he had a heck of a year."

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl/news/story?id=5900330
Lovie Smith:
"No doubt, he makes the defense better. We've had great football players here, but this is a special player we're talking about," Smith said.

Bill Belichick:
"You could put him anywhere on the field," Belichick said. "He can play on the front line, he could play linebacker. He could play strong safety. He could play anywhere on the defensive line. He's tall. Richard Seymour was tall and he played there. Put him out at tight end, make a left tackle out of him. I wouldn't want to tackle him if he was carrying the ball. He's a great player."

Tom Brady:
"He's one of the best in the league. He's big, strong, fast, athletic. He's got seven sacks, wreaking havoc," Brady said.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4667827/angelos-thoughts-on-lovie-peppers-and-more
Jerry Angelo:
I think he’s great. I wouldn’t take another defensive player in the league outside of him. He’s a great player. He has impacted our defense. He’s a guy you have to account for. He plays all three downs. Don’t let the sack numbers be the end result of how you measure this guy. He really, truly is a great player. He has been a great leader for us, too, and you can’t minimize the intangibles. I think a big part of why we’ve been playing good defense is intangibly, we’re very, very strong. I’ve got to say this: It starts with him.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02EFD8113DF932A3575BC0A9669D8B63
Michael Strahan:
Q. Who do you think will break your record of 22.5 sacks in a season?A. DeMarcus Ware is amazing. Julius Peppers is amazing. They look like they can do it.

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Chicago Bears: Julius Peppers' defensive-line teammates are key to season's success - Chicago Tribune
"Guy is a monster," weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs said.

Offered Idonije: "He literally is throwing guys all over the place. I mean, throwing tackles, tight ends, it doesn't matter who he's lined up against. He has his way with those guys. It's just incredible to watch."

It's the kind of performance that doesn't translate into stat sheets and doesn't even get its proper due on a highlight show.

"The numbers don't talk about what he did," defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. "It was the intensity of the game he played at, the speed. My God, the details of his pass rush. Forget the sacks already. Some of the rushes where the ball came out quick, they were some of the prettiest rushes you'd ever want to see. Just beautiful, the skill, the technique, the work habit, you know? He's starting to really come right now. It ignites everybody else around him."


Deep article on Julius Peppers
Howie Long:
"It's rare when you have the opportunity to see a player who is ahead of his time," said Howie Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end and Fox Sports NFL analyst. "Lawrence Taylor was ahead of his time. Kellen Winslow was ahead of his time. They gave you a snapshot glimpse of what you could see in the future. Julius Peppers is that way."


Don't let Peppers' low sack total fool you - NFL - Yahoo Sports

“[Peppers] can force them to change what they’re doing, because they have to pay more attention to him,” Idonije said. “I’ve been fortunate this year just to be able to reap the benefits of that.”

NFL Communications - Quotes From NFL Network

Warren Sapp:
“Not since Reggie White have the Packers had a pass rusher of this magnitude.”

Julius Peppers might've become the next L.T.

Vic Ketchman:
"Here’s something I’ve decided about Peppers: He was out of position for 12 years. Had he been drafted No. 1 overall in 2002, as he should’ve been, he would’ve been used as a play-making linebacker. Instead of having to put his hand down, identify himself to the defense and become a stationary target, he could’ve been used in a manner that would’ve made him more difficult to find and block. He might’ve become the next Lawrence Taylor."

http://www.csnne.com/blog/patriots-talk/belichick-peppers-still-exceptional-athlete

Bill Belichick:
"Julius is an exceptional athlete," Belichick said of the former two-sport star (football and basketball) at University of North Carolina. "He’s got rare, rare skills: size, athleticism, speed. He’s a really long, long player. His length as well as his athleticism are huge strengths of his, in addition to a lot of experience. He’s seen everything, experienced it and I don’t think there are too many things on the football field that would surprise him anymore.

"He can run and get around the edge, he’s got power, he’s got inside moves. They move all their players around a lot, so you get him in some different spots. He’s a very, very disruptive guy."


Like I said, Peppers will be a first ballot hall of famer and go down as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.

 

[darken65]

Your right Mr Peepers Julian is very good

I like Julienne Peppers. Better than just chopping them up.

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Peppers has been dominating since he entered the league in 2002...

Carolina Panthers: Julius Peppers

Peppers helped Panthers boast only defensive unit since the NFL merger in 1970 to improve from last in the League in total defense to second in one season. (His Rookie year.)

Bleacher Report | Sports. Highlights. News. Now.

Though Peppers had but eight sacks this year, he had a huge impact on a defense that went from 21st in the league in points allowed in 2009 to fourth this year; from 4.3 yards per rush last year to 3.7 this year; from 29 touchdown passes surrendered last year to 14 this year. He pushes the pocket. He buzzes around the quarterback. He makes other guys -- Israel Idonije, Tommie Harris -- better.
There's no question the return of Brian Urlacher at the pivot point of the defense has been a significant addition, but Peppers has been the most important reason the Bears have become the Monsters of the Midway again, and that's why he's my defensive player of the year.
He's the John Stockton of the Bears defense, the guy who makes everyone around him better.

Don't let Peppers' low sack total fool you - NFL - Yahoo Sports

Peppers makes plays in spite of double teams and he empowers Smith’s Tampa 2-based defense to stick to its roots, relying on a four-man rush instead of counting on linebackers and defensive backs to blitz. According to Football Outsiders, the Bears rushed six or more defenders on 16.7 percent of passes in 2009, the third-highest rate in the league. They also sent only four players on 56.4 percent of pass plays (22nd). This season, though, the Bears have sent six or more defenders just 1.4 percent of plays (25th), and they relied on a four-man rush 72.2 percent of pass plays, the third-highest total in the league.

The Bears’ run defense was ranked second – its highest since the 2001 season – and it also allowed the third-fewest points (16.0)

The Panthers always won atleast 7 games while Peppers played for them, the year he leaves, they only win 2 games, meanwhile Chicago missed the playoffs 3 straight seasons, Peppers comes to town and they make it to the NFC championship game... that shows his impact.


Peppers finished 4th in the DPOY Award voting in 2010 with only 8 sacks only further proving it's not all about sacks, but about how much impact Peppers has for his team.

The true impact of Julius Peppers - NFC North Blog - ESPN

"I think we all know on the team, I'm speaking of players and coaches, I think we all know what I'm bringing to the team," Peppers said. "And while the numbers aren't popping out on the page, the things that I'm doing when you see the tape, it's good football out there. I'm pleased with it. I think everybody else is pleased with it, and hopefully by the end of the year, the numbers will be matching up to what we see on the field."

It's happened before in Peppers' career. As the first chart shows, he amassed 10.5 sacks in the second half of the 2008 season and 6.5 after the midpoint of 2005. It's true: Sacks can come in bunches.

But in the meantime, how can we fairly judge Peppers' performance? As we've noted several times, his presence has allowed the Bears to limit their blitz frequency and devote more players to coverage. The results has been remarkable. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Bears have the NFL's best pass defense when rushing four or fewer men.

The second chart provides those details. The Bears have rushed four or fewer men on about 70 percent of opponents' dropbacks this season. Opposing quarterbacks have a 66.6 passer rating in those situations, the lowest in the league.




With all due respect to the rest of the Bears' line, including defensive end Israel Idonije and his five sacks, I think we can reasonably trace that success to Peppers and the havoc he creates. He leads the Bears with 12 quarterback pressures, has intercepted one pass at the line of scrimmage and batted away two others while also forcing fumbles after both of his sacks.

"I've been pleased," Peppers said. "The numbers aren't where we would like them to be, but those things will come. But other than that, I think it's been a great season. I think it's been one of my better seasons playing the position overall. Rushing and playing the run and just being active on the field, it's been one of my better years."

But more than anything, what we saw in the first half was a textbook example of how an elite pass-rusher can impact a team in ways other than sacks. Do you think the Bears would have the NFL's No. 8 defense without Peppers?

This argument could all be a moot point after Sunday, when Peppers will face a Minnesota Vikings team he lit up last season as a member of theCarolina Panthers. Peppers played so well early in that game, notching a sack along with three other quarterback hits while also batting down a pass, that the Vikings benched Pro Bowl left tackle Bryant McKinnie.

"I've been seeing [extra help] a lot, just as I have my whole career," Peppers said. "It's not anything new. So you know, I'm being patient, I'm working hard. The sacks and stuff will come. I'm not really concerned about sacks right now. I'm concerned about winning games and being disruptive. I think I'm doing a good job at that."


Carolina Panthers: Best and worst draft picks - NFL.com

Not many people outside of the Carolinas probably remember this, but there was a vocal faction leading up to the 2002 NFL Draft that felt thePanthers should take Oregon QB Joey Harrington. Good thing John Fox stuck to his defensive instincts. While Harrington flamed out in Detroit, Peppers emerged as one of the NFL's most dangerous pass rushers. Peppers posted 12 sacks his rookie season and had five other double-digit sack seasons in Carolina. A two-sport star at UNC, Peppers' athleticism made him unique among his peers. How he lost out on the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004 -- a season in which he scored two touchdowns in addition to his 11 sacks -- remains one of the sport's unsung travesties.

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...ceptions-career-packers-panthers-bears-100214

Thirty players in NFL history have accumulated at least 100 sacks in a career, including 10 Hall of Famers. Hundreds of players have intercepted at least 10 passes in their careers (OK, that isn't quite as impressive). But never in history has a player done both in a career.
Until now.
With his 49-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter of Thursday night's 42-10 drubbing of the Vikings, the Packers' Julius Peppers became the first player in NFL history with at least 100 sacks and 10 interceptions in a career.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...m-history-nfc-edition-niners-head-tough-calls

CAROLINA PANTHERS: Julius Peppers, defensive end

Peppers is the choice for one of the league's younger franchises. The reason: He was considered the best at his position for several seasons. There probably isn't another Carolina Panther you can say that about. (Sorry, Steve Smith.) From 2004 to '06, there was no better defensive end at all phases of the position. Also, he was an integral part of a Panthers team that nearly took down the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Peppers is a Hall of Famer, no doubt.

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Carolina, on his mind - Chicago Tribune Why Peppers left the Carolina Panthers

Pass-rushing specialist Julius Peppers right fit for Packers - CBSSports.com

“It feels great to be a Packer,” Peppers said via text Saturday night, upon returning home from Green Bay and reflecting on the whirlwind past few days. “I'm excited to join a team with a great history of winning and tradition. I could not be more thrilled to have the opportunity to compete for a championship.



“I was looking for the right opportunity to present itself. A team with a legitimate chance to win a title, an organization full of great people and a locker room with great players who know how to win. I was also looking for a unique defensive scheme that would allow me to be a more versatile and effective player.”

“That was really important to Julius -- that he have the opportunity to show the versatility he has and some of his special gifts,” Carey said. “He's wanted to play in a 3-4 defense or a hybrid sort of a situation for many years, ever since he was with the Carolina Panthers years ago, and to have that opportunity now, he is super excited.

“And when you have a team that is obviously a great division rival that has watched film on you and has been studying you and has game planned against you for four seasons and, that team then comes and says we want you to join us, I think that's probably the highest compliment that a player can receive. Because they know him, and they know what he brings to the table, and for them to come and say we want you on our side, I think that speaks volumes about what they know about him from the other side.”

“Quite honestly, within the first five minutes of being at the team facility -- meeting Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy and Russ Ball -- I could see that he felt right at home,” Carey said. “And he actually said that he really liked the vibe that was there. In this process, since Tuesday when he was released, I heard from a total of eight teams that were interested in him, and a number of those teams actually put offers on the table. But when we got to Green Bay he looked at me and told me, ‘Let's get this done.'”

https://twitter.com/PeteDougherty
Pete Dougherty ‏@PeteDougherty 21h
Just talked to another NFL scout about Peppers. Ranked him as the best player among him, DeMarcus Ware n Jared Allen

Bernstein: One Guy Responsible For Bears’ Turnaround « CBS Chicago

Understand that Peppers is a brute squad – a freakish package of strength, smarts and athleticism. He’s a Hall-of-Famer at the peak of his abilities who has elevated a defensive scheme that apparently needed only him to function properly. He’s the focus[​IMG] of blocking attention on every play, as he makes zone drops like a safety, chases downfield like a linebacker, caves in the line on run plays, sets the edge and contains, pursues quarterbacks relentlessly, and blocks kicks.

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Julius Peppers: Julius Peppers at defensive tackle an intriguing possibility - Chicago Tribune

Julius Peppers is such a special athlete he probably could moonlight anywhere and help[​IMG] the Bears in spots.

But he could be a difference-maker at defensive tackle.

Anyone who watched the defensive end slide inside Sunday against the Lions would agree. On four plays as a three technique, or under tackle, Peppers had a sack, a quarterback hit and a pressure.

Game Of Choice He always loved basketball best. But now the time has come for North Carolina's Julius Peppers to devote himself to one sport year-round--and it's football - SI.com

Peppers was the best basketball player and among the best football players ever at Southern Nash, where he received so many recruiting letters that he was given his own mail slot in the school office. In basketball he finished his career with more than 1,600 points, 800 rebounds and 200 assists and was heavily recruited by Duke. In football Peppers rushed for 3,501 yards and 46 touchdowns at tailback and manhandled opponents as a defensive lineman. In his final game, when Northeast Guilford High ran a sweep away from Peppers, he chased down the running back, stole the ball from behind and raced 90 yards the other way for a touchdown.

As a senior, Peppers placed second in the triple jump at the state track meet, despite wearing spikes two sizes too small because size 18s couldn't be found. Having watched Big Head swing a bat, Davis believes he could have been a baseball star as well. The coach still shakes his head in disbelief as he recalls a three-hour football practice on a scorching summer day before Peppers's junior season, after which all the other Firebirds lay sprawled on the grass or huddled around the water spigot. Peppers strolled over to one end zone and began doing backflips the length of the field. No hands. For 100 yards. In full pads and helmet.

While scouts from the NFL and the NBA believe Peppers could excel in either league, he has made up his mind:

Peppers may be the largest, most intimidating model to date. He bench-presses 425 pounds, runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds, has a 37.5-inch vertical leap and only 4% body fat. During Peppers's redshirt year the North Carolina football coaches couldn't decide at which position he might wreak the most havoc, so they listed him on the roster as athlete. "Julius is a freak of nature,"

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Man of steel Julius Peppers - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

"It's like Mother Nature just decided to scratch her chin and say 'I'm going to create me something special right here,'" Panthers radio announcer **** Mixon said of Peppers, whom he covered at the University of North Carolina.

If you want to get people talking, ask them the most amazing thing they've ever seen the fourth-year defensive end do. In most cases it will be one of those highlight reel plays, something involving jumping high or running fast or getting away from extremely large men who attack him in multiples.

Tar Heels football coach John Bunting has little doubt Peppers could be "a dominant tight end, an All-Pro tight end like Tony Gonzalez. Heck, he might be able to play safety."

But that would be taking away from the things Peppers does best, and Bunting had a front-row seat for one of the early entries into the lexicon of Peppers highlights.

On Oct. 20, 2001, Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler (then considered a Michael Vick-type talent) was trying to throw a screen pass, but threw it with plenty of steam. Peppers got off a cut-block, jumped straight into the air to tip it, then intercepted the ball several yards downfield.

"He's simply the most unique athlete I've ever seen on the football field, and I had (linebacker) Derrick Thomas in Kansas City," Bunting said. "Julius just has every tool you want in a football player."

Bunting suggested Peppers could change positions easily.

"He could trim down to 250 or 260 pounds and be a dominant outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense," said Bunting, who coached in the NFL for eight years before taking over the Tar Heels prior to Peppers' last college season.

As intriguing as that seems, there's one major flaw.

"Where's he going to lose 35 pounds?" Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac said. "There's not a lot of extra on him at 288."

Trgovac could seemingly talk all day about a play at Denver last year, and not the 101-yard interception return most recall.

On the play before, a third-and-goal from the Panthers 3, Peppers was blocked away from Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer's roll-out. And though Plummer's one of the more athletic passers in the league, Peppers rolled his hips, got back to his feet, turned and chased Plummer out of bounds a yard shy of the goal line.

"There's not another defensive end that can make that play," said Trgovac, a man not given to brash pronouncements. "Nobody else could get fooled and recover like that. It should have been a touchdown, and then there wouldn't have been the big interception return."

Quarterback Jake Delhomme recalled laughing when he saw Peppers chase down Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman from behind -- from the other side of the field.

"It's not supposed to happen," Delhomme said. "I remember watching it on the screen because I normally don't get to watch our defense during a game, and thinking, 'That just doesn't happen.'"

Men who approach 300 pounds aren't supposed to run like that. But when the defensive backs and running backs and receivers were picking fantasy track teams last year, they all seemed to want Peppers on their 4x100 relay team.

He said the fastest he's ever been timed in the 40-yard dash was 4.55 seconds.

"But I've raced guys who ran 4.3s and beat them," he said, a slight grin creeping over his face. "I think speed is different. Game speed is different. Some guys can run 4.3s and they get on the field and they're slow. It's a different type speed you can have."

It's also a different kind of agility.

Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins recalled a play from Peppers' rookie year, when he was turned upside down and landed in a back bend.

"He had his hands on the ground and his feet on the ground at the same time," Jenkins said. "I remember saying, 'If that was me, my career would be over.' But he just walked off the field and I was like 'Is he serious?' ... If I did that, I'd probably tear every ligament I had in my knees and shoulders and probably pop a couple discs out of my spinal cord.

"We call him the next evolution of man. Some of the things he does, it just doesn't make sense."

The scary part? He can get better.

With a straight face, veteran safety Mike Minter suggested earlier this year that Peppers could break the NFL's single-season sack record of 22.5.

Fox says Peppers can become more proficient at other things, because of the way Peppers works.

"He expects it; that's what you want in a player," Fox said. "It's how he practices every day -- he comes to work and brings his lunch pail. I think he has developed his game more each year. He understands the game faster. This game is about playing fast. The more you see it, the faster you get. When you match that with the fact you are fast, that's when you get great players.

"That attitude is the thing that's awesome. When you think you've kind of got it figured out, that's when you get bit. He's still continuing to try to learn. He's become a student of the game. Each opponent brings a new challenge. Each style of offense is a new challenge, and he thrives on it."

1 Carolina Panthers - SI.com

You could argue that Carolina's best big-play threat last season didn't line up at wide receiver or in the backfield. He was on the defensive line, in the form of 6'7", 290-pound end Julius Peppers. That's part commentary on the injuries that bedeviled the Panthers in 2004--they played most of the season without receiver Steve Smith and running backs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster--but it also tells you something about Peppers's athleticism. Against Tampa Bay he returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown; against Atlanta he snatched a Michael Vick fumble out of midair with one hand and went 60 yards for a score; and against Denver he returned an interception 97 yards before being dragged down just short of the goal line. No other Carolina player had as many plays of at least 45 yards.

You could write that off as a case of Peppers's being in the right place at the right time; or, more accurately, you could say that Peppers, who also led Carolina in sacks (11) and forced fumbles (four), is redefining the defensive end position.

Deep article on Julius Peppers

Like smoke, Peppers can seemingly be everywhere. Like Batman, he can come swooping in from nowhere.

"It's rare when you have the opportunity to see a player who is ahead of his time," said Howie Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end and Fox Sports NFL analyst. "Lawrence Taylor was ahead of his time. Kellen Winslow was ahead of his time. They gave you a snapshot glimpse of what you could see in the future. Julius Peppers is that way."

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Julius Peppers makes the Bears defense go | jacksonville.com

The Bears’ linemen can cause havoc even when they don’t get a lot of sacks. They had just one sack in Dallas Monday night, but harassed Tony Romo into throwing five interceptions, two that were returned for touchdowns. They could make it a long day for Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
“They’re definitely one of the better defensive lines and they play with their hair on fire and we’ve got to be able to match that,’’ guard Uche Nwaneri said.
And it all starts with Peppers, who got a six-year $91.5 million free agent deal in 2010 with $42 million guaranteed. Many big-money free agents aren’t the same after they get the big money, but he’s the exception to the rule.
“He’s been everything — no, he’s been even more than what we wanted him to be when he became a Bear,’’ coach Lovie Smith said.
His sack total wasn’t eye-popping in his first two years with the Bears. He had 19, although he caused six fumbles. And he has just 2.5 this year.
But he opens things up for other players because opposing offenses have to pay so much attention to him.
A seven-time Pro Bowler, Peppers said at the start of the season, “Just because teams try to take me out of the game doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of the game. You can still impact the game.’’
Of the double-teaming and chipping teams do to stop him, Pepper said, “Take it as a compliment. You also know you’re helping out your teammates. You might not get the looks you want to get as far as getting a single, but you’re helping somebody else. You’re trusting your teammates to get the job done.’’
He’s a main reason the Bears are third in the NFL in sacks with 15, two behind the Bengals, who boosted their total to 17 with the six against the Jaguars last Sunday.
Defensive tackle Henry Melton leads the team with four sacks while defensive end Israeal Idonije and Peppers each have 2.5 and rookie Shea McClellin, who’s still a backup, has two.
Two weeks ago, the defense throttled the Rams, 23-6, holding them to two field goals and scoring a touchdown on Major Wright’s 45-yard interception return for a touchdown.
And they do it without doing much blitzing because they can get to the quarterback with their front four.
They’re also stout in stopping the run and rank third in the league in rush defense.
Teammate Lance Briggs said Peppers is the player teams have to account for.
“You always have to chip him. He’s constantly chipped by running backs, or double-teamed,’’ Briggs said.
The Bears also keep him fresh by limiting his snaps. He played on 40 of the 70 defensive snaps the Bears had against Dallas.
And while he’s technically a defensive end, the Bears line him up all over the line.
Briggs said, “We move him around. He plays inside. He plays the interior as well as the outside creating some matchup problems for offensive lines. He’s just a guy who is a dominating force in the league.’’
Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey was familiar with Peppers from his days in Atlanta, when he had to scheme against Peppers twice a year.
“You’ve got to find him and it’s not like you can design your scheme around one guy and go, ‘He’s always lined up on this side.’ They’re moving him around. He’s a tough guy to block without help. He definitely can become a game wrecker,’’ Mularkey said.
Nwaneri said: “He’s a very dangerous player. You’ve got to keep him out of that zone. Those elite defensive ends get in zones and they get the tackle or guard on their heels. You don’t want that. He’s a great finisher at the quarterback.’’
Smith said he was shocked when Peppers couldn’t reach a deal with Carolina and hit the open market. It was like Christmas came early when the Bears got to sign him on the dotted line.
“And being a guy that’s been a fan of his from afar for a long time, early on you couldn’t let yourself really think that you really had a legitimate shot until it started to happen and we got a chance to meet Julius,’’ he said.
Smith said he felt like he was recruiting Peppers.
“The money will take care itself, but nowadays free agency is about recruiting and showing a player exactly what you have to offer. He saw it was a good fit,’’ he said.
When Peppers does line up at right end, he’ll take on Eugene Monroe in one of the better matchups in the game. In the opener at Minnesota, Monroe neutralized another noted pass rusher in Jared Allen. And Mularkey said Monroe only gave up one pressure against Cincinnati.
Monroe said of Peppers: “He’s a great athlete. He does a lot well. It’s a great challenge to be playing against him. I’m looking forward to it.’’

 

[PredatorPeppers]

Quiet Peppers spices up Carolina defense - USATODAY.com

CHARLOTTE — Julius Peppers cannot fly. He cannot save the polar ice caps from melting or end conflict in the Middle East.
But when he's on a football field, he certainly seems capable of the impossible.
Ask those who see him daily about his amazing exploits, and their voices acquire the tone of a child describing a first roller-coaster ride. They rave about his size (6-7, 283 pounds) and his speed — he has run down Atlanta's Warrick Dunn. They gush so much about his greatness — and his agility, his flexibility, his work ethic, his energy — that the effusive praise almost seems cloying.
Peppers, the Carolina Panthers' Pro Bowl defensive end, is a great football player. The question is: How great?
"Because we see him every day, I don't think we realize how lucky we are," Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme says.
"Before our eyes," Carolina defensive end Al Wallace says, "we're seeing the maturation of a Hall of Fame-caliber player."
After watching Peppers notch three sacks, bat down a pass and recover a fumble in a 24-10 win against Tampa Bay, ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Joe Theismann put Peppers in rarefied air, comparing him to Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor.
"This is the best way to put in perspective the way we viewed Lawrence, and I think this is the way people should view Julius," Theismann says. "When coaches draw up defenses, they use letters to denote defensive players: 'C' for corner, 'S' for safety, so on. In Washington, we would use letters until it came to Lawrence. For him, we used No. 56, and it was always bigger than everything else. That visually put everything into context, saying, 'This guy is better than anybody else on that board.' "
Tall defensive ends are nothing new to the NFL. But Peppers, 26, stands out because he possesses the speed, quickness and agility of a basketball player.
"He's changing the sport," Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker says. "A defensive end, 280, 290, with his speed? You don't see that. You might get an end who is 290 pounds, but he's not moving that fast."
At the University of North Carolina, one of the nation's premier hoops programs, Peppers helped the Tar Heels to the 2000 Final Four. He once scored 21 points in an NCAA tournament game. As a sophomore he led UNC in field goal percentage (.643).
Playing basketball meant Peppers missed the offseason football weightlifting program and portions of spring practice, which "had a significant effect" on his football development, according to John Bunting, Peppers' coach at North Carolina. "But it also helped develop his competitive nature and his athleticism."
In Peppers' three seasons in Chapel Hill, he started 33 of 34 games and notched 30½ sacks, one short of the school record. "Now ordinarily that wouldn't mean much," Panthers coach John Fox says, "but the guy who had the record was Lawrence Taylor. And Julius played one less year."
Peppers' gridiron potential was obvious to his coaches. "We knew we were seeing just a glimpse of what he was capable of," says Bunting, who even considered using Peppers at tailback. "I knew once he became totally focused on football alone, the sky was the limit."
Peppers entered the draft after his junior season, and the Panthers chose him with the second overall pick. "No disrespect to anybody else available, but to take him No. 2 was a no-brainer," Fox says. "I count my blessings daily that we did that."
Peppers is notorious for his reticence. "I understand it comes with the territory," he says of the media interviews that he rarely grants. "I can deal with it. If I could have it my way, it would be another way. But it is what it is."
Peppers keeps a tight inner circle of confidants. It includes his high school coach, Brian Foster; a female friend who chooses to remain anonymous; a couple of teammates; and his academic adviser at UNC, Carl Carey.
Because they worked together year-round, Peppers came to trust Carey; he would allow nobody else to tutor him. Peppers remained close to Carey after leaving college and hired him to be his agent after Carey became certified in 2005.
"Julius has had to deal with a lot of people trying to surround him for the wrong reasons — rap groups, friends and others," Carey says. "I really believe the success everybody is seeing on the field now is Julius eliminating clutter from his life — people who meant him no good."
Peppers hasn't forgotten the experience of his rookie year when a trusted friend suggested he use a supplement. What Peppers didn't know was the supplement contained ephedra, a banned substance that resulted in a four-game suspension for Peppers.
"A lot of people want to be close to him, so he's careful," Rucker says. "He grew up in North Carolina, played high school ball here, two-sport star at the University of North Carolina, and now he plays professionally in his home state. Very rarely do you see that. So more people have followed him all the way through, and a lot of people in this state want to be his friend. So he's cautious of people wanting to get inside his circle."
Peppers, the youngest of three children, grew up in Bailey, N.C., a small town in the eastern part of the state. His father left the family when Julius was 8. His mother, Faye Brinkley, is a quiet woman — a trait she passed on to her son.
"I'm not exaggerating when I say that his freshman year of college, Julius gave one- and two-word answers to almost every question," Carey says. "If he gave a three-word answer, it was, 'I don't know.' I'm literally not kidding. His mother is very quiet, and I think he grew up only speaking when it was necessary."
While his teammates call him "J.P." or "Pepp," Peppers prefers to be called Julius. He was named after basketball star Dr. J — Julius Erving. Peppers' middle name, Frazier, honors former New York Knicks star Walt Frazier.
A few more details from Peppers' closely guarded personal life: He drives a black Range Rover; he enjoys reading Donald Goings, John Grisham and John Maxwell; he lives in an uptown Charlotte condominium, where he lounges in baggy sweat pants and often listens to classical music. In his spare time, he says, "I just like to hang out. I like to chill out at home alone. I watch some TV and surf the Internet."
Peppers helped a Raleigh, N.C., church rebuild after a flood destroyed its chapel in the late 1990s. He also gives money to Charlotte-area church programs to feed the homeless.
"He's not one of those guys you're going to see out at a club," Wallace says. "The same guy you see shy and reserved in here is the same way off the field. He'd never come off like, 'Hey, I'm Julius, and you guys are my sidekicks.' "
While Peppers does relish his privacy, he's not a hermit. The PlayStation and Xbox sessions with his teammates can get lively. "We're big fans of Madden Football," Wallace says. "So when we're not playing football we're. ... playing football. He's very competitive at that."
Peppers is a bit of a jokester and uses his quiet reputation to his advantage. "Little things, like tapping someone's shoulder then ducking away," Rucker says. "If two of us are standing there, Julius isn't going to be the first suspect.
"He gets away with a lot of stuff. Three or four of us might be in a crowd, and he'll call someone's name then duck back into the crowd. There are always some jokers in the bunch, so automatically you think they did it, while he's over there laughing."
Because of his size and speed, Peppers presents an unusual challenge to NFL coaches. He can line up anywhere on the field; he can rush the passer; he can drop into coverage. "You can't block him with one person," Theismann says. "You can say, 'Well, we'll just run at him.' But he's big enough to handle that. So then you say, 'I don't want to go at him; let's go away from him.' But then with his speed and motor he'll chase everything down."
When asked how much time he'd spent game-planning for Peppers before the Rams' 15-0 Week 11 loss to the Panthers, St. Louis coach Scott Linehan said, "I'm not sure we have enough time to talk about all the problems he presents. Between him and that whole front and that secondary, it's hard to focus on him. But you must because he can wreck the game before you get the fifth step on a drop-back pass. And now he's starting to blow up the running game."
Peppers has played at a high level since he entered the league in 2002, but he's having his finest year, leading the NFL with 11 sacks.