Julius Peppers' run with Bears vaulted him to national stardom, helped Hall of Fame bid

CANTON, Ohio — Julius Peppers is remembered mostly as a dominant defensive end for the Panthers, but his four-year run with the Bears was a big piece of his Hall of Fame candidacy.

Peppers grew up in North Carolina, stayed there for college and spent his first eight seasons with the Panthers before signing with the Bears in 2010 becoming a household name.

“The major thing that was different was the notoriety,” he said Friday of his time in Chicago. “People knew I was a good player in Carolina, but a lot of people nationally didn’t really know who I was. When I went to Chicago, that changed a little bit.”

Peppers will go into the Hall of Fame on Saturday with fellow ex-Bears Devin Hester and Steve McMichael, marking the first time in six decades that the franchise has had three former players enshrined at once. Hester and Peppers were teammates for four seasons.

Peppers, 44, was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The Panthers drafted him No. 2 overall out of North Carolina in 2002, and he played 17 seasons before retiring with the fifth-most sacks in NFL history at 159 1/2. He was a nine-time Pro Bowl pick and made All-Pro three times, including for the Bears in 2010.

As he sat next to former Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney — 26th all-time in sacks — on Friday, Peppers said he never really thought of himself as a pass rusher, but rather a run stopper who could get after the quarterback when necessary.

“Versatility was my focal point,” he said.

Peppers played for the Panthers from 2002 through ’09 and his final two seasons in 2017 and ’18, as well as his four seasons with the Bears and the 2014 through ’16 seasons with the Packers. He won at least one playoff game at all three stops.

Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington was his position coach with the Bears and Panthers and gave him a big hug when he was introduced at the Hall of Fame game Thursday. He complimented Peppers for “not only the type of player that he was, but the type of person that he is.”

Throughout his career, Peppers was known for his level demeanor and steady production.

“I’m a laidback, quiet individual, and on the field, it was kinda the same thing,” he said. “We played a physical, violent game, so the intensity picked up, but the personality didn’t change.”