"I can be one of the great ones": the Panthers defensive end certainly took a giant step in that direction this season - Defensive Rookie of the Year: Julius Peppers

THE CAROLINA PANTHERS HOPED they had something extraordinary when they drafted defensive end Julius Peppers with the No. 2 pick overall in the 2002 NFL draft. They talked Peppers up to the fans and media, trying to sell him as the future of the franchise. They gave him a seven-year contract that will be worth at least $50 million and could be worth as much as $62 million with incentives, easily making him the team's highest-paid player.

But the Panthers didn't know for sure if they had something extraordinary until the defensive end's first day of training camp in late July. And then--after a three-second burst--they were convinced.

What Peppers gave the Panthers was a preview of what he would give the NFL in a momentous rookie season in which he recorded 12 sacks in only 12 games. For his performance, Peppers is FOOTBALL DIGEST'S 2002 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

On that first day of training camp, Peppers was lined up against Carolina's three-year starter at right tackle, Chris Terry, in a full-contact pass-rushing drill. No real quarterback was involved--it was just a one-on-one matchup. Paul Boudreau, the Panthers' highly respected offensive line coach entering his 16th NFL coaching season, saw it up close and couldn't believe his eyes.

Peppers first gave Terry an inside fake that was so convincing that Terry blasted full-speed toward Peppers, determined to show him how difficult training camp could be for a rookie. But Peppers was already gone--he already had come to a complete stop, changed direction, and sprinted past Terry on the outside. The players started the drill only a yard apart, yet Terry never touched Peppers. If a quarterback had actually been on the field, he would have been obliterated.

"I was in Detroit," Boudreau said after witnessing the drill, referring to his three years as the Lions' offensive line coach in the 1990s, "and Barry Sanders was the only guy I ever saw who could stop and start like that."

Comparing Peppers to Sanders--probably the quickest, shiftiest player in NFL history--seemed like a major stretch back then. But Boudreau wasn't done. "What Julius did to Chris on that play--it was just unbelievable," the coach continued. "I can tell you right now that Carolina has never had anybody in the history of this franchise like this guy. He's 284 pounds, but the way he moves, he looks like he's about 240. He's going to be a special, special pass-rusher."

Boudreau passed those words on to Carolina's other coaches. For the rest of July and August, they smiled like Cheshire cats when talking about Peppers. At that time, Peppers seemed like the one bright spot amid the darkness for the struggling franchise. The Panthers had set an NFL single-season record in 2001 with 15 straight losses, finishing 1-15. That led to the firing of head coach George Seifert, who was replaced by John Fox.

Yes, the Panthers had problems--but at least they could take pride in Peppers. He led the NFL in sacks for much of the early part of the season and almost certainly would have broken Jevon Kearse's rookie record of 14.5 had the NFL not suspended him for the final four games because of a violation of the league's policy on anabolic steroids and related substances.

Numerous sources said Peppers tested positive for a weight-loss stimulant similar to ephedra or ephedrine. His suspension raised some questions about the NFL policy that may be addressed this offseason. While those NFL players testing positive once for ephedra-like substances are automatically suspended for four games, those testing positive for cocaine or marijuana don't face a suspension until their second positive test.

The suspension cost Peppers $235,000 in base salary. "It's unfortunate," Peppers says. "I made a mistake. I was unaware of the substance. It was a rookie mistake."

Ephedra-based products joined the league's list of banned substances after Minnesota offensive tackle Korey Stringer died during a Vikings training-camp practice in the summer of 2001.

In addition to four games and some base salary, the suspension cost Peppers a $1 million bonus he would have received if he had been named to the Pro Bowl this season. At the lime of his suspension, Peppers looked like a sure bet for the Pro Bowl, but the voters eventually bypassed him in favor of Hugh Douglas, Simeon Rice, and Michael Strahan.

While the suspension can't be discounted--Peppers is responsible for what he put into his body, and he should have asked the Panthers' training staff about any questionable substance--he did more in 12 games than most rookies do in 16.

Peppers drew raves from everywhere because of his combination of speed and strength. He also has started to master a skill that basically was brought into the NFL by Lawrence Taylor, the last unanimous All-American at North Carolina (in 1980) before Peppers became one. Taylor was wonderful at the sack-strip combination: sacking the quarterback and also stripping him of the ball. Peppers has great potential for those game-changing plays, as well. He forced five fumbles this season, which ranked among the league leaders, and also had an interception, batted away four passes, and made 54 tackles.

Says veteran Panthers quarterback Rodney Peete: "Julius has the potential with his talent to be as good as anybody who's ever played." Adds defensive line teammate Brentson Buckner: "He's a freak of nature."

As good as he was, Peppers still played with some of the inconsistency you'd expect from a rookie. There were some sackless games sprinkled in with his dominant performances. But those dominant performances are what people remember--and with good reason. In a Week 2 win over Detroit, for instance, he had three of Carolina's six sacks. He banged into Detroit quarterback Mike McMahon so hard on one of those sacks that the home crowd at Ericsson Stadium was momentarily silenced.

Even Peppers' teammates were in awe of that one. "Julius hit him, and it was like, `Crack!' And I'm like, `Oooh!'" Panthers defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said that afternoon. "I was kind of staring, thinking, `He done hurt that boy.'"

McMahon eventually got up, long after Pepper had quietly returned to the huddle. One of Peppers' most refreshing qualities is that he doesn't generally celebrate sacks as if he'd just won the Super Bowl. He plays with a sense of dignity and sportsmanship.

Another highlight for Peppers was Carolina's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in October, when he also had three sacks. Against Baltimore, his first regular-season NFL game ever, he didn't have a sack, but on the Ravens' final drive, he batted a pass high into the air that was intercepted by linebacker Dan Morgan to preserve Carolina's win. "I'm glad," Baltimore right tackle Edwin Mulitalo said after that game, "I got to block Peppers when he's young."

Peppers' emergence helped a Carolina team that was dead-last in the NFL in total defense in 2001. This year, the Panthers defense ranked as high as No. 1 for a couple of weeks. The defense stayed in the top 10 basically all season, but it wasn't able to compensate for an ineffective offense. If the Panthers can find a couple of offensive playmakers this offseason, they could be playoff contenders in 2003.

For that to happen, they'll need another big year from Peppers. But that should be a given. He just turned 23, so we've only seen a glimpse of what he can do.

Off the field, Peppers' inherent shyness makes interviews a painful process for him. But he definitely has improved in front of microphones. During his freshman year at North Carolina, he roomed with Ryan Sims (another future No. 1 draft pick). Sims later said of Peppers: "I'm not sure he ever spoke a word. The guy defines `quiet.'"

But don't mistake silence for passivity. Says Fox, who was Strahan's defensive coordinator with the New York Giants when he set the single-season sack record in 2001: "Julius has great drive to be a great player. He has played through some bumps and bruises, things that some players won't fight through. I think he's a tough young man."

Peppers grew up in Bailey, N.C., so he never has had to leave his home state in order to ply his trade. He was named Julius Frazier Peppers--Julius for NBA legend Julius Erring, Frazier for the boxer Joe Frazier. Raised by a single mother, Peppers starred in both basketball and football at an early age. Basketball actually was his favorite sport growing up. He was a crowd-pleasing sixth man at North Carolina, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in his last game, a Tar Heels loss to Penn State in the 2001 NCAA tournament.

But Peppers began to realize that he'd make more money in the NFL, and he skipped the 2001-02 basketball season for North Carolina to prepare for the draft. Without him, the Tar Heels thudded to 8-20.

It turned out to be a wise move: The Panthers gave Peppers a 814 million signing bonus. He spent $73,000 of that bonus on a silver Mercedes-Benz G500 sports utility vehicle, which looks like a really expensive mail truck. "I'm a different guy, so I need a different ride," Peppers says.

He is a different sort of guy, one who had a different sort of rookie year. A four-game suspension. Twelve sacks. A future that seems limitless for the player Kansas City Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil says reminds him of "a larger Deacon Jones."

Peppers may be shy in front of the camera, but he doesn't shy away from such comparisons. Says Peppers: "Once I really maximize my potential--I don't know when that'll be, a year from now, three or four years from now--I think I can be one of the great ones."

FOOTBALL DIGEST'S

Defensive Rookies of the Year

Year    Player, position                           Team

2002    Julius Peppers, defensive end              Carolina Panthers
2001    Kendrell Bell, linebacker                  Pittsburgh Steelers
2000    Brian Urlacher, linebacker                 Chicago Bears
1999    Jevon Kearse, defensive end                Tennessee Titans
1998    Charles Woodson, cornerback                Oakland Raiders
1997    Peter Boulware, linebacker                 Baltimore Ravens
1996    Zach Thomas, linebacker                    Miami Dolphins
1995    Hugh Douglas, defensive end                New York Jets
1994    Antonio Langham, cornerback                Cleveland Browns
1993    Dana Stubblefield, defensive tackle        San Francisco 49ers
1992    Santana Dotson, defensive tackle           Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1991    Mike Croel, linebacker                     Denver Broncos
1990    Mark Carrier, safety                       Chicago Bears
1989    Steve Atwater, safety                      Denver Broncos
1988    Erick McMillan, safety                     New York Jets
1987    Shane Conlan, linebacker                   Buffalo Bills
1986    Leslie O'Neal, defensive end               San Diego Chargers
1985    Reggie White, defensive end                Philadelphia Eagles
1984    Ricky Bryan, defensive tackle              Atlanta Falcons
1983    Vernon Maxwell, linebacker                 Baltimore Colts
1982    Vernon Dean, defensive back                Washington Redskins
1981    Lawrence Taylor, linebacker                New York Giants
1980    Buddy Curry, linebacker                    Atlanta Falcons
1979    Jim Haslett, linebacker                    Buffalo Bills
1978    Al "Bubba" Baker, defensive end            Detroit Lions
1977    A.J. Duhe, linebacker                      Miami Dolphins
        Bob Bauhmower, defensive tackle            Miami Dolphins
1976    Mike Haynes, cornerback                    New England Patriots
1975    Robert Brazile, linebacker                 Houston Oilers
1974    Jack Lambert, linebacker                   Pittsburgh Steelers
1973    Wally Chamber, defensive end               Chicago Bears
1972    Tommy Casanova, defensive back             Cincinnati Bengals
1971    Isiah Robertson, linebacker                Los Angeles Rams

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