Carolina Panthers icon Julius Peppers doesn’t tweet too often. But when he does, he makes it count . . . unlike Trevor Keels’ and-one attempt.
Following Saturday night’s Final Four classic between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils, Peppers dropped a short and sweet message to his peeps. So, even as a North Carolina boy and Tar Heel through and through, he hoped at least some civility would prevail in the latest chapter this storied rivalry.
Lol… y’all stay classy tonight.
— Pep (@juliuspeppers_) April 3, 2022
As long as he’s being sincere, that’s awfully nice. Perhaps Peppers was hoping his fellow members of the Tar Heel family would take it easy on the Dukies, especially with North Carolina ousting coach Mike Krzyzewski from his final NCAA tourney.
But would they listen? Um . . .
Absolutely not https://t.co/uLgG7QLwr3
— Savanna Joi (@savannajoi59) April 3, 2022
NO MERCY, PEP https://t.co/1CWxn7gDls
— A Homeless King (@WiserTate828) April 3, 2022
Hell naw!!! We 🔥 https://t.co/z2uD444fG0
— CatmanJr87 (@CatmanJr87) April 3, 2022
#GoHeels https://t.co/mzMqcoAleJ pic.twitter.com/sqg5VBYAgf
— SmokelyCarmichael (@DeuceSkywalker) April 3, 2022
pic.twitter.com/AYXuiwYIJq https://t.co/y9SShsLkcE
— Plant Guy (@AccountantPlant) April 3, 2022
Well, he tried.
Peppers is no stranger to high-stakes college basketball himself. A former forward of two seasons at Chapel Hill, he remains the only person ever to play in both a Super Bowl and a Final Four game.
Between 1999 and 2001, Peppers averaged 5.7 points per contest on the hardwood—while also earning unanimous All-American honors as a defensive end on the football field. He and his Tar Heels got to Indianapolis in 2000, where they’d fall one step short of the National Championship game in a 71-59 loss to the Florida Gators.
But while the basketball side hustle was probably an incredible experience, Peppers’ actual calling led him to become a gridiron great and a North Carolina legend.
