South Charlotte Today

In practically every other area of the game, Julius Peppers could fill up a stat sheet. He had 159.5 sacks (fourth all-time), 52 forced fumbles (second all-time), and 13 blocked kicks (10th on the unofficial all-time list). However, one column on his football card remains perplexingly empty: receptions.

"It's probably my fault," former Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme said with a laugh. "I mean, listen, I had no trouble throwing something towards the back of the end zone or a back-shoulder to a 5-foot-9 stick of dynamite like Steve Smith. I had no trouble doing that. I had no trouble throwing it to Muhsin Muhammad. But to Julius, it's like, I don't know."

Delhomme's use of a basketball analogy is fitting, as Peppers' skills on UNC's Final Four team were expected to translate into catching passes. "We felt like a guy who played in the Final Four in basketball and was the number two pick in the draft... We just thought we could use him to do a few things," former offensive coordinator Dan Henning explained.

The Panthers experimented with Peppers as an offensive target starting his rookie year but never quite succeeded for various reasons. He lined up occasionally but only saw two pass attempts thrown his way in 2004. In 2005, offsetting pass interference penalties erased another chance.

Head coach John Fox remarked humorously about Delhomme’s role: "Well, you've got to remember too, there's a throw involved as well."

Peppers' athleticism made him an intriguing option; he played running back in high school and considered being a tight end at UNC before focusing on defense. Upon joining the Panthers in 2002, Fox and Henning began devising plays involving Peppers offensively.

"For the most part, we did so we could run the other way," Fox said about their strategy when deploying Peppers.

Henning envisioned Peppers as an exceptional tight end: "To this day... he would have been in there with Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad."

Peppers showed enthusiasm for these trick-play options during practice sessions but remained nonchalant when entering huddles during games.

Left tackle Jordan Gross recalled: "I just remember the coolness factor of all of us going up when he was in the huddle."

Peppers' presence also created excitement among teammates and confusion among opponents. Defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac noted: "He would create a buzz because here's the thing about Pep... He's just such a different species than the rest of us."

Hall of Honor tight end Wesley Walls remembered feeling replaced by Peppers during red zone practices but acknowledged his potential: "I'm like, oh my goodness... There's no way they can cover it."

Muhsin Muhammad agreed that while capable, Peppers chose defense where he excelled enough to earn Hall of Fame recognition.

Steve Smith initially disliked losing red-zone opportunities to Peppers but later appreciated why coaches favored using him given his size advantage.

Despite these missed opportunities for receptions, Julius Peppers’ legacy remains firmly established through his defensive prowess—culminating in his Hall of Fame induction.