The legacy of a hometown hero has found home of its own.
As announced during NFL Honors on Thursday night, Carolina Panthers great Julius Peppers has been named a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. The Wilson, N.C. native and University of North Carolina two-sport star has now achieved football immortality in just his year on the ballot.
Peppers played 10 of his 17 pro seasons in Carolina, a two-stint tenure that sandwiched stops for the Chicago Bears (2010 to 2013) and the Green Bay Packers (2014 to 2016). Those 17 years yielded an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, four First-team All-Pro selections, three Second-team All-Pro selections, nine Pro Bowl nods and spots on the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
By the time the 2002 No. 2 overall pick hung up his cleats after the 2018 season, he had amassed 719 tackles, 11 interceptions, 52 forced fumbles, 21 fumble recoveries and 159.5 sacks—the fourth-most in league history.
Once inducted later this summer, Peppers will join fellow defenders Reggie White, Kevin Greene and Sam Mills as one of the few Panthers players who are enshrined in Canton. Peppers, however, will be the only player of that bunch to have spent the majority of his career in Carolina.
Congratulations, Pep!
