Tag: Julius Peppers

UNC leads North Carolina in NFL Draft selections

If you follow the NFL Draft closely, chances are you’ve seen a former North Carolina Tar Heel selected in the first round.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are no stranger to recent struggles against NC State in its football rivalry, while archrival Duke is a team UNC typically beats.

Wake Forest is proving to be another solid in-state college football program, East Carolina is no stranger to success (look at the early-mid 2000s), NC Central performs well at the FCS level, while App State is the Tar Heel State’s most consistently-successful program.

Regardless of what collegiate football program you talk about in North Carolina, the Tar Heels own one impressive distinction in their home state: most first-round NFL Draft picks, leading their state with 25.

Drake Maye, the 2022 ACC Player and Rookie of the Year who threw for 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns in his UNC career, was chosen third overall by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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The full list of North Carolina’s first round draft picks is highlighted by Hall-of-Famers Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers, but also includes, in order of year selected: Ken Willard (1965), Don McCauley (1971), Ken Huff (1975), Taylor and Donnell Thompson (1981), Brian Blados (1984), Ethan Horton (1985), 3-time Super Bowl Chapmion Harris Barton (1987), Thomas Smith (1993), Marcus Jones (1996), Vonnie Holliday, Brian Simmons and 2007 Pro Bowler Greg Ellis (1998), Ebenezer Ekuban (1999), Peppers and Ryan Sims (2002), Kentwan Balmer (2008), Hakeem Nicks (2009), Robert Quinn (2011), Quinton Coples (2012), Jonathan Cooper and Sylvester Williams (2013), Eric Ebron (2014), Mitch Trubisky (2017) and Maye (2024).

Here’s to hoping Maye enjoys a successful career like most of his UNC first-round predecessors.

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WATCH: Reliving a few NFL Draft memories for former Tar Heels

Make sure you watch this throwback video of former UNC football stars hearing their names called in the NFL Draft.

All of Tar Heel Nation’s attention on Thursday, April 25 was turned towards the NFL Draft.

Fans wondered where Drake Maye, the record-setting quarterback who played himself into Heisman Trophy contention and was the 2022 ACC Rookie and Player of the Year, would be selected. Several mock drafts had Maye to the New England Patriots, while others had the Washington Commanders calling his name.

When the third overall pick rolled around, it was New England who chose Maye. The Patriots are hoping he can break their bad luck streak at quarterback, with no one finding sustained success under center since Tom Brady briefly retired.

Maye isn’t the only former Tar Heel to hear his name called on Draft Day in the past 25 years.

Take a look at this highlight reel the UNC football program posted to its Instagram page, as a few North Carolina legends walked the stage during their draft days.

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Julius Peppers is the greatest defensive player to come out of Chapel Hill since Lawrence Taylor, with both being amongst the top defensive players in college and NFL history.

Peppers ranks fourth in NFL history with 159.5 sacks, plus he played in 266 of 272 games – sixth-most by a defensive player. Peppers also had a penchant for terrorizing opponents in college, ranking second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks.

Javonte Williams was part of a deadly rushing duo with Michael Carter, as both Tar Heels ran for 1,000 yards during the COVID-altered 2020 campaign. Williams is now starting for the Denver Broncos, totaling 2,501 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.

Hakeem Nicks earned First Team All-ACC honors in 2008, catching 68 passes for 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns that year at North Carolina. He was a Super Bowl Champion with the New York Giants in 2012, the highlight of his 7-year NFL career that included 5,081 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns.

Mitch Trubisky hasn’t played to the standards of the 2017 NFL Draft’s second overall pick, only eclipsing 3,000 yards in a season twice (2018, 2019). He started for one season at UNC, posting 3,748 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, then has bounced around since the Chicago Bears selected him.

Josh Downs is the latest talented wide receiver to come out of Chapel Hill, with the Indianapolis Colts selecting him in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft.

Downs was a 2-time, First Team All-ACC honoree (2021, 2022), ending his Tar Heel career with 2,483 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. Downs quickly ascended up Indy’s depth chart to the number two receiver behind Michael Pittman Jr., finishing his rookie season with 771 receiving yards (seventh-most amongst rookie pass-catchers) and two touchdowns.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions!

Local Final Four star DJ Burns Jr. garnering attention from NFL execs

Rock Hill, S.C. native and NC State star DJ Burns Jr. is apparently catching the attention of some NFL scouts and GMs.

Could DJ Burns Jr. go from the block to the blindside?

With yet another dominant March Madness performance, the Rock Hill, S.C. native and North Carolina State University star is continuing to take the nation by storm. His 29-point Easter outing led the Wolfpack past the ACC rival Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight round, helping give the program their first Final Four appearance since 1983.

But Burns isn’t only grabbing the attention of the basketball world. According to Fox Sports senior national writer Peter Schrager, the 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward has NFL scouts and general managers thinking a little bit outside the box . . .

This wouldn’t be the first time a local college athlete made the Final Four while football came calling. Remember that kid named Julius Peppers?

While football was obviously on the forefront for the standout defensive end, Peppers was a reserve for the University of North Carolina’s Final Four squad in 1999. The Wilson, N.C. boy only went on to become a unanimous All-American, a second overall pick, a nine-time Pro Bowler and a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

So even though Burns would have a different road to the NFL, it seems to be an open one.

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Panthers OLB Jadeveon Clowney: ‘I grew up the biggest fan of Julius Peppers’

Panthers OLB Jadeveon Clowney attributed a piece of his success to a franchise legend.

If not for Julius Peppers, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney may have been the most menacing running back in NFL history.

After making his new deal with the Carolina Panthers an official one, Clowney hopped on a Zoom call to chat with local reporters this afternoon. When the Rock Hill, S.C. native was asked about the importance of playing for his local team, he revealed some interesting background on a huge (and seemingly life-altering) source of inspiration.

“I just grew up the biggest fan of Julius Peppers,” he replied. “Yeah, I was just a Pep fan. It kinda made me wanna play defensive end when I was in high school, and move from running back to D-end. And now look—I end up in the National Football League after switching positions.”

That switch paid off for Clowney, who ended up in the National Football League as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft. A decade later, he’s amassed 52.5 sacks, three Pro Bowl selections and, most recently, a lovely two-year contract that could net him up to $24 million.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any Peps on the current Carolina roster. (Heck, there aren’t any other Peps currently in existence.) Nonetheless, Clowney believes the defense that he’s stepping into is pretty darn good.

“The defense was not bad last year,” he later added. “They finished very high still with the defense they had. They got players. I don’t know why people don’t think they got players. They got great players.”

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Panthers great Julius Peppers posts thoughts on Brian Burns trade

Julius Peppers went through something very similar to what Brian Burns just experienced. The Panthers legend tweeted his thoughts on the situation this morning.

Well, it happened to the Carolina Panthers again. And the first guy it happened with had some thoughts on the second one.

The “it” we’re referring to, by the way, is the loss of an elite pass rusher in his prime. That first strike of lightning hit the Panthers back in 2010, when Julius Peppers left town for the Chicago Bears after a messy contract tango at home.

Lightning bolt No. 2 struck yesterday, when the team traded outside linebacker Brian Burns—who also didn’t get the new deal he wanted—to the New York Giants. Peppers would post his thoughts about the situation on Tuesday morning:

This isn’t the first time the franchise legend and soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Famer threw in his two cents on the Burns saga. Peppers, in a recent interview with Kassidy Hill of Panthers.com, said he was hoping the organization could stick with the two-time Pro Bowler.

“I think he’s one of the best,” Peppers told Hill. “He has all the tools, he has all of the talent. I hope we’re able to keep him. I hope he stays. I hope we’d be able to keep him around for a long time.”

Unfortunately, they only kept him for another month.

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Every franchise tag recipient in Panthers history

With a new recipient likely on the way, let’s look back at the Panthers’ history with the franchise tag.

With no new deal seemingly in sight for two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns, the Carolina Panthers are destined to use the franchise tag for the eighth time in their history.

But how did the first seven play out?

Let’s take a look at Carolina’s history with the tag.

Julius Peppers hopes Panthers can keep Brian Burns from free agency

Julius Peppers has lived through this story before, and he hopes it doesn’t happen with Brian Burns and the Panthers.

Somehow, the Carolina Panthers have yet to reach a long-term agreement with a homegrown, first-round pass rusher who has become one of the very best defenders in the game. Sound familiar?

Well, it should to Julius Peppers—who experienced a very similar story to what Brian Burns is going through now.

On Wednesday, the newly-named Pro Football Hall of Famer spoke with local reporters on a Zoom call following his eventful weekend in Las Vegas. When asked about Burns, who is slated to become a free agent this offseason, Peppers said he hopes the two-time Pro Bowler sticks around.

“I traded a couple of texts with him a couple of days ago, he was congratulating me on the Hall of Fame and stuff like that,” he replied, via Kassidy Hill of Panthers.com. “And we’ve been meaning to link up at some point just about those off the field things…that’s where I come from. I come from, what’s going on off the field, who’s around you, what do you have going on? What’s your support looking like off the field? Because I think that translates to on the field type of stuff. So I’m there…more for that kind of stuff, like the mentor or big brother kind of stuff.

“But like, as far as his game, I think he’s one of the best. I think he’s one of the best. He has all the tools, he has all of the talent. I hope we’re able to keep him. I hope he stays. I hope we’d be able to keep him around for a long time.”

That wasn’t necessarily the case for Peppers, who bounced from Charlotte in 2010 when the team couldn’t meet his number. The Chicago Bears, instead, did—signing the Wilson, N.C. native to a six-year, $91.5 million pact.

As for Burns, the Panthers could—like they did with Peppers—use the franchise tag to keep their top sack getter around for another season. In the meantime, they’ll still have a chance to keep him around even longer.

But if they can’t, a bad bit of franchise history will repeat itself.

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20 Valentine’s Day cards for the special Panthers fan in your life

Spread the love with our 20 Panthers-themed Valentine’s Day cards!

Still looking for that special something for that special Carolina Panthers fan in your life?

Well, look no further.

Let’s spread the love this Valentine’s Day with 20 Panthers-themed cards that friends, family members and/or significant others will absolutely fall for!

Julius Peppers’ call to DeShaun Foster to join UCLA staff has social media buzzing

Julius Peppers wants to join DeShaun Foster’s staff and social media wants all of it.

The UCLA Bruins football program named DeShaun Foster as its new head coach on Monday.

The press conference was full of memorable moments from start to finish, and now questions remain on who Foster hires for his staff.

One player who wants to join Foster’s staff is former Carolina Panthers legend Julius Peppers, as he posted on X with a message congratulating Foster and hoping to join the staff.

And, of course, social media took Peppers’ tweet and ran with it. Nonetheless, the thought of Peppers joining Foster’s staff is a fun one especially after linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. left UCLA for the same role with the Washington Commanders.

Julius Peppers: Steve Smith should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Famer Julius Peppers thinks former Panthers teammate Steve Smith Sr. is past due for Canton.

Hopefully, former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. will soon join fellow franchise legend Julius Peppers in Canton. But it’s Peppers who believes that he should be the one having to join Smith Sr.

This past weekend was certainly a memorable one for Peppers, who was just named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his very first year of eligibility. The NFL’s fourth leading sack artist of all-time also made time to appear at Allegiant Stadium for Super Bowl LVIII, where he ran into his old teammate on the sideline.

And while catching up on the congratulatory messages he’s received in the past few days, Peppers made sure to catch us up on his thoughts about Smitty’s Hall of Fame candidacy . . .

Smith Sr., a semifinalist in each of his three bids, has been eligible since 2021. But he has yet to advance into the finalist group.

If you ask Peppers, that’s no place for his pal—who is eighth all-time in receiving yards and 12th in receptions. And if you ask us, he’s right.

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