NFL Legend Julius Peppers Offers Inspirational Hall of Fame Speech

Former nine-time Pro Bowl and six-time All-Pro defensive end and linebacker Julius Peppers has rightfully taken his place among the game's all-time greats, having been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this Saturday.

The 6-foot-9, 295-pound University of North Carolina product was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by his home state Carolina Panthers and enjoyed an extended pro career from 2002-2018. During that time, he was named to the NFL 2000s and 2010s All-Decade Teams while throttling opponents with the Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers.

Peppers had a lengthy speech in Canton, Ohio, the transcript of which is available in full on the Panthers' official site.

"Now that I'm retired, people always ask me what I miss most about the game. Well, the thing I miss the most is the camaraderie, the friendship, and the relationships that you build at work. Well, I don't have that at work anymore. My fiance and my three kids have become the new locker room."

The 44-year-old is embarking on a fresh chapter in his life, away from the gridiron. In 2019, after announcing his retirement, Peppers was hired by the Panthers to serve as a special assistant of business operations. He played for Carolina from 2002-2009 and returned to close out his career from 2017-2018, so it's fitting that he now works for the club where he logged the majority of his 17 seasons.

"Now to the football and let me just say this, so many people have helped me get to this stage in my family and in my football life and I want to make sure all of you please know that I'm grateful," Peppers said.

Peppers wrapped up his talk with a powerful closing salve.

"I'm going to close with what being a Hall of Famer means to me," Peppers said. "It's not about how many touchdowns you score or how many Super Bowl rings you have, even though those things are nice. It really comes down to who you are at your core and what's in your heart." Peppers said. "Are you resilient? Do you stand tall in the face of adversity when things get tough or do you quit?"

Peppers finished with 716 total tackles over the course of his career, and 159.5 sacks. That latter number is the fourth-most sacks in league history. He also notched the second-most forced fumbles ever, with 51, and the second-most blocked kicks ever, with 13. Peppers also notched 21 fumble recoveries, 11 interceptions, 82 passes defended, 60 stuffs, and six defensive touchdowns scored.

The power of his speech, however, was emphasizing how much of being a Hall of Famer in life is predicated on the support of others.

"Do you acknowledge other people's contributions to your success or do you make it all about you? Being a Hall of Famer is one of my crowning achievements but it, but it extends far beyond. It extends to my family and it extends to my daily life," Peppers said. "You could be a Hall of Fame dad, a Hall of Fame student, teacher, spouse, coworker, friend, whatever it is, whatever it is that you do, do it with respect, integrity, passion, resilience, dedication, and gratitude."

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