Then, in order to take advantage of Peppers’ size and speed, Davis played him at defensive end in addition to running back.īy the end of his sophomore year, Peppers was getting inundated with recruiting letters from colleges. Not only was Peppers abnormally tall for a running back, he was fast, running the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. Sure enough, when the 1995 season began, Peppers went out for football and Davis put him at running back.Īs a sophomore, the now 6’5” Peppers ran through and around opponents for over 1,000 yards. But he showed up that summer ready for conditioning.” “I said, ‘Son, if you play football for me I’ll make you a running back,’” Davis recalled. Greatest #HSFB Recruit From Every State 🏈🐐 North Carolina: Julius Peppers, DE Southern Nash High School (Bailey) Class of 1998 College: North Carolina /vdnYycezuMĭavis reassured Peppers he could play anywhere he wanted. Peppers expressed concerns about being placed on the offensive line, the last place in the world he wanted to play football. “But on the football field, his size, his speed and his athleticism could be special.” “I tried to tell him that he was going to be a dime a dozen size-wise on the basketball court,” said Davis. The coach implored him to join the Firebirds’ football team the following fall. It just so happened that Davis was watching that day and pulled Peppers aside. When Peppers finally arrived at Southern Nash High School, he only devoted time to his first love, basketball, and track.ĭuring track season, Peppers competed in the 4×400 meter relay team and triple jumped 37 feet. He had his eye on basketball, but this was a kid who we knew could be great.” “He was just super dominant because he was so much bigger than everybody else. “It was strange because he was the tallest guy on the team and he’s out there playing running back,” explained Davis. I’d say he was like 6-foot-1 then.”Ĭoach Davis noticed Peppers because the kid was literally head and shoulders above the rest of his fellow seventh grade teammates on the gridiron. He was gangly and a little awkward I remember. “He was really a big kid for a seventh grader. “The first time I ever noticed him was when he was in middle school,” Southern Nash football coach Ray Davis said in 2020. That realization began when coaches from nearby Southern Nash Senior High School noticed Peppers in middle school.
“I always thought that lots of people could do what I did. “As a kid I never saw myself as unusual,” Peppers said. However, Peppers didn’t get a big head from high praise.ĭespite his otherworldly athleticism, Peppers believed he had skills just like everybody else. It could have also come from the adoration he received as an athletic marvel by the time he was in middle school. He weighed over nine pounds at birth and only continued growing through adolescence.Īs a youth, Peppers was nicknamed “Big Head” for the large size of his noggin. Peppers was large and in charge right from the womb. Julius Frazier Peppers was born on Januin Wilson, North Carolina. “Big Head” Grows Up Large in North Carolina This is the incredible story of Julius Peppers. He is also the only player in league history to net 150 sacks and 10 interceptions. TlnemaXv7mīy the time he retired after the 2018 season, Peppers owned a host of NFL records and accomplishments including the fourth most sacks in league history. Panthers DE Julius Peppers is the only player in NFL history with 150 sacks & 10 INTs. Over the course of 17 years, Peppers rarely missed a game and established himself as one of the best defensive end/linebackers in NFL history. In 2002, Peppers was taken with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He then matriculated to the University of North Carolina where Peppers played both football and basketball for the Tar Heels. Peppers was big as a youth and he only continued growing until he became an absolutely dominating prep athlete.
#Cam newton panthers 2016 professional#
There are some people who are just born to be professional athletes.
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