Julius Peppers

Julius Peppers

Peppers at the 2013 Pro Bowl
No. 56 Green Bay Packers
Position:	Outside linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1980-01-18) January 18, 1980 (age 37)
Place of birth:	Wilson, North Carolina
Height:	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:	287 lb (130 kg)
Career information
High school:	Bailey (NC) Southern Nash
College:	North Carolina
NFL Draft:	2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
Carolina Panthers (2002–2009) Chicago Bears (2010–2013) Green Bay Packers (2014–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
9× Pro Bowl (2004–2006, 2008–2012, 2015) 3× First-team All-Pro (2004, 2006, 2010) 3× Second-team All-Pro (2008, 2009, 2012) NFC Defensive Player of the Year (2004) NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2002) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team Chuck Bednarik Award (2001) Lombardi Award (2001) Bill Willis Trophy (2001) Unanimous All-American (2001) 2× First-team All-ACC (2000, 2001)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2016
Total tackles: 660 Sacks: 143.5 Pass deflections: 73 Interceptions: 11 Forced fumbles: 47 Total touchdowns: 6 Player stats at NFL.com

Julius Frazier Peppers (born January 18, 1980) is an American football outside linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. Peppers also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013.

Peppers has been named to the Pro Bowl nine times, and both the first and second All-Pro teams three times each. In his rookie season, he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002, where he recorded 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception, all while playing in only 12 games. In 2004, he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Year by the Kansas City Committee. For his performance during the decade, he was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.

Peppers was born in Wilson, North Carolina, and raised in nearby Bailey. By the time he was a freshman at Bailey's Southern Nash Senior High School, Peppers had grown to 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 225 lb (102 kg). Ray Davis, the football coach at Southern Nash, felt that Peppers would be an asset on the gridiron for the Firebirds, despite the fact that Peppers had never played football before. Davis' gamble would pay off. During his high school career, Peppers played running back and defensive lineman, finished his career with 3,501 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns, and was one of the most dangerous defensive linemen in the state. He also lettered in basketball and was voted all-conference as a power forward for four consecutive years. In 1998, Southern Nash won the state championship in track for the first time in the school's history. Peppers contributed as a sprinter, winning the state championship in the 4×400 meter team relay (3:23.10 minutes) and finishing second as a triple jumper (14.05 meters). He was also rumored to have cleared 2.03 meters in the high jump. During his senior year (1997–98), he was named to the Parade magazine high school All-America team in football as an all-purpose talent and was also named Male Athlete of the Year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. In 2005, Peppers was named by the Rocky Mount Telegram newspaper as one of the 50 Greatest Athletes from the Twin County (Nash and Edgecombe) area.