Former Bears DL Julius Peppers Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Julius Peppers' NFL Career

The Carolina Panthers selected Peppers second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Panthers and was a five-time Pro Bowler before coming to Chicago.

During his time in Carolina, Peppers recorded 81 sacks and played in several playoff games, including Super Bowl XXXVIII where the Panthers lost to the Patriots on a last-second Adam Vinatieri field goal.

The 2004 season was the beginning of Peppers' domination of the line of scrimmage. He recorded two interceptions and one fumble recovery and scored twice that year. It was also the first time Peppers made the Pro Bowl, an honor he received five times over the following six seasons.

Then, he joined the Bears for four years. Peppers was already nearly a perennial Pro Bowler and that didn't change in the Windy City. For the next three years, Peppers was a wrecking ball on the Bears' defensive line and he made the Pro Bowl in each season.

In his final year with the Bears, Peppers had a bit of a dip in production. He still recorded seven sacks and one fumble recovery, which led to a touchdown. But after his contract was finished with Chicago, Peppers left for the rival Green Bay Packers.

For the next three seasons, Peppers wore the green and yellow and made one final Pro Bowl in 2015. He recorded 25 sacks and forced eight fumbles for the Packers.

In the final two years of his career, Peppers returned to where it all began: Carolina. From 2017 to 2018, Peppers recorded another 16 sacks and three fumble recoveries. He was a beacon of health as well, playing a full 16-game season each year except for 2002 (12 games) and 2007 (14 games).

Peppers was nominated to the NFL's All-2000s Team as well as the All-2010s Team to go alongside his AP and PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002.

The 6-foot-7, nearly 300-pound lineman was one of the most ferocious defensive players the NFL has ever seen. Even Bears legend Brian Urlacher has previously said that Peppers is the best football player he's ever seen.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame gained a worthy player in Peppers. Defensive players for years to come will look at his career and play style as one to mimic to be as successful as a disruptor as possible.