South Charlotte Today

CANTON, Ohio — This weekend's highlights will remind fans of the extraordinary capabilities of Julius Peppers. His feats on the field are too numerous to encapsulate in a short video montage. For his teammates, witnessing these performances daily sometimes led to underappreciation.

"I truly believe we took him for granted," said former Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. "There was never a problem with Julius. He showed up every week without boasting or causing a scene."

Peppers' exceptional plays were not confined to games; he often amazed during practice sessions as well. Delhomme recalled an instance when Peppers intercepted a perfect screen pass: "He jumps up with his left hand and literally stabs it in the air; one hands it and runs the other way."

Greg Olsen, who played with Peppers both in Chicago and Carolina, echoed this sentiment: "He would do something in practice that you'd never seen before. It became normalized, which is so hard to do."

Peppers' consistency partly contributed to this normalization. Tonight, he will be honored at Tom Benson Stadium alongside the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Selected in his first year of eligibility, Peppers became the 90th member to receive such recognition immediately. He was chosen for the All-Decade team for both the 2000s and 2010s, one of just 29 individuals in football history with such longevity.

Jordan Gross, who faced Peppers in practice for seven years, noted: "You just know he's going to be a Hall of Famer, but you don't know that when it's happening."

Defensive tackle Brentson Buckner compared Peppers' athleticism favorably even among Hall of Famers like Chris Doleman and Charles Haley: "Somebody as big as Pep moved like a defensive back or wide receiver but had the size of a classic D lineman."

Peppers' versatility extended beyond football; he played significant minutes for a Final Four basketball team. Buckner remarked: "I haven't seen a human being in person do those things at that size."

Former running back DeShaun Foster recalled moments where Peppers' physical prowess stood out: "Seeing Pep able to tip it to himself and then catch it was just impressive."

Wide receiver Steve Smith highlighted Peppers' consistent impact on defense: "Pep always did his job and made what we now call havoc plays regularly."

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan appreciated Peppers’ contributions from his vantage point as middle linebacker: "I mean, I didn't take him for granted; I was playing right behind him, and he made my job so much easier."

Tonight’s ceremony will serve as a fitting tribute to an athlete whose greatness was sometimes taken for granted by those closest to him.

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