Julius Peppers made the announcement today that after 17 season in the league, he’s putting up his cleats.
Peppers, 39, was drafted in 2002 as the second overall pick coming out of North Carolina. In college, he led the nation with 15 sacks in his sophomore year and was awarded the nation’s top defensive player following his junior season. At UNC, he had 30.5 sacks, the second all-time record at the university. He was also a basketball star but focused more on football in his final season.
In his NFL career, the 6-foot-7 defensive end has many highlight moments with the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. In this last season with the Panthers, Peppers for his 50th forced fumble of his career making him the second player in NFL history to have 50 forced fumbles. The other player is Robert Mathis.
Even though he’s never won a Super Bowl, Peppers is a 9-time Pro Bowler and to many, considered one of the best defensive players in NFL history.
Watch Peppers retirement video, career highlights and reaction from fans on the next page.