Julius Peppers’ Hall of Fame bust unveiled in Canton

Former Panthers great Julius Peppers realized a lifetime achievement Saturday when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He picked up his gold jacket in a ceremony the night before. But the honor was officially completed with the unveiling of his bronze bust.

Standing with long-time friend Carl Carey, the two took the cover off of the bust to show off an image of Pepper at his youthful, robust best. Peppers also became the first-ever player drafted by the Panthers to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Check out the image.

A first-ballot Hall of Famer and a @Panthers legend. Introducing, the Bronze Bust of Julius Peppers! pic.twitter.com/hfFmzjqh8u

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) August 3, 2024

Peppers didn’t have to wait long for his induction. The Panthers selected this former North Carolina star with the second pick of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played in Carolina from 2002-09. Then after stints with the Bears and Packers, he joined the Panthers in 2017. Days before this year’s Super Bowl, the Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed he was one of the class of 2024. Peppers was so good that he earned a spot in the Hall the first time he was on the ballot.

The class of 2024 also featured six other players. The others joining Peppers were defensive end Dwight Freeney, linebacker Randy Gradishar, receiver/return man Devin Hester, receiver Andre Johnson, defensive tackle Steve McMichael and linebacker Patrick Willis. All but McMichael were on hand in Canton, Ohio. McMichael, the former Chicago Bear and Texas Longhorn, has ALS and is unable to travel. Several legendary Bears and Hall of Fame officials went to McMichael’s home in Chicago to present him with his gold jacket and show him his bronze bust.

Peppers, in his induction speech, thanked his Panthers teammates and coaches. He gave a shout-out to Mack Brown for recruiting him to North Carolina. He acknowledged his high school coach. And he name dropped another famous Tar Heel, who attended the ceremonies. He called him “The GOAT, His Airness, Michael Jordan.”

Peppers told the crowd he came from a large family. His dad was one of 11 children, while his mother had eight brothers and sisters. His parents were on hand, as were his fiance and their three children.

He explained that Carey, who presented him for induction, was his “copilot” on this journey. He met Carey his freshman year at UNC. Carey started as his academic advisor and then became part of the de facto family.

To acknowledge his Panthers teammates and those from the Bears and Packers, he said:

“I played 17 years. So there’s a lot of you guys out there. And I appreciate every single one of you just know that you guys are the reason that I worked so hard. And a big part of the reason that I’m standing up here today, you motivated me, you inspired me and we help each other.”

Then this Panthers great wrapped up his emotional speech.

“Now 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 ring 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?

“Are you resilient?” Peppers asked. “Do you stand tall in the face of adversity when things get tough or do you quit? 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.

“Everyone can’t play in an NFL game and everyone can’t have a bust in Canton, but everyone can be a Hall of Famer in your own life.”

Then he finished with more inspirational words.

“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. That alone will make you a Hall of Fame person and you too can have a legacy that lives on forever too.”