Julius Peppers
Encyclopedia
Julius Frazier Peppers is an American football
defensive end
for the Chicago Bears
of the National Football League
. Nicknamed The Freak of Nature, he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers
second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at North Carolina
.
, and raised in nearby Bailey
. By the time he was a freshman at Southern Nash Senior High School
, Peppers had grown to 6 in 5 in (1.96 m), 225 lb (102.1 kg). Ray Davis, the football coach at Southern Nash, felt that Peppers would be an asset on the gridiron for the Firebirds, despite the fact that Peppers had never played football before. Davis' gamble would pay off. During his high school career, Peppers played running back and defensive lineman, finished his career with 3,501 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns, and was one of the most dangerous defensive linemen in the state. He also lettered in basketball and was voted All-Conference as a power forward for four consecutive years. In 1998, Southern Nash won the state championship in track
for the first time in the school's history. Peppers contributed as a sprinter
, winning the state championship in the 4×200 meter team relay and as a triple jumper. During his senior year (1997–98), he was named to the PARADE
All-America team in football as an all-purpose talent and was also named Male Athlete of the Year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association
. In 2005, Peppers was named by the Rocky Mount Telegram newspaper as one of the 50 Greatest Athletes from the Nash
/Edgecombe
(Twin County) area.
, where he won the Chuck Bednarik Award
for the nation's top defensive player and the Lombardi Award
as the best collegiate lineman in 2001. Peppers also won the Bill Willis Trophy as the nation's best defensive lineman. Peppers redshirted
his freshman season. Peppers led the entire nation in sacks with 15 his sophomore season. In the three seasons at North Carolina, Peppers started 33 of the 34 games he played in. He is currently ranked second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks. He accumulated 53 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 167 tackles, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, 13 passes deflected, and 43 quarterback pressures (hurries) and returned two interceptions and one fumble recovery for touchdowns.
, said he could play football and then be a walk-on for Bill Guthridge on the UNC men's basketball team. He was a key reserve on the 1999-2000 Tar Heels team that made it to the Final Four. Peppers was also a key reserve on the 2000-2001 men's basketball team. In the NCAA Tournament, Peppers scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a loss to Penn State in the second round. After the season, Peppers decided to focus solely on football and academics and did not play basketball in his final season.
, Peppers was selected by the Carolina Panthers
as the second overall pick behind first overall pick, quarterback
David Carr
. Peppers ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at 290 pounds (131.5 kg) and completed 22 bench press reps at his pro day. Peppers made an immediate impact and was named The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
by the Associated Press
. During his rookie season, Peppers tallied 36 tackles, 12 sacks, 1 interception, and 5 forced fumbles. On October 13, 2002, Peppers became only the third player in NFL history to amass three sacks and an interception in the same game. With four games remaining in the season, Peppers was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy for taking a banned dietary supplement.
In 2003, during the Panthers' Super Bowl
run, he had 46 tackles, seven sacks, and three forced fumbles. The next year, Peppers was selected to his first ever Pro Bowl
with 65 tackles, 11 sacks, two interceptions, four forced fumbles, and two touchdowns. On October 15, 2006, Peppers became the Panthers' all-time sacks
leader.
Peppers is known as one of the most athletic and versatile players in the NFL, his freakish athleticism earned him the nickname, "The Freak of Nature". In his career, Peppers has 11 blocked kicks (extra points and field goal attempts) ranking second all time in NFL history. Peppers has had double-digit sacks in all but three seasons. In 2008, Julius Peppers was voted to the 2009
Pro Bowl
, where he recorded an interception.
Following Mike Minter
's retirement, Peppers was named as the Panthers defensive captain. He and Donovan McNabb
are the only people to ever play in both the NCAA men's basketball
Final Four
and the NFL's Super Bowl
.
On January 16, 2009, ESPN
reported that Peppers told ESPN's Chris Mortensen
he did not intend to re-sign a long-term deal with the Carolina Panthers and would like to explore options with another team, specifically one with a 3-4 defensive formation. He also expressed the desire or willingness to convert from a defensive end
to an outside linebacker. Peppers said he would request a trade if franchise tagged. However, despite his request, the Panthers would place the Franchise tag
on him on February 19. On February 22, 2010, Adam Schefter reported that the Panthers would not place the franchise tag on Peppers, leaving him an unrestricted free agent, free to pursue a contract with another team.
signed Peppers to a six-year contract worth $91.5 million, with $42 million guaranteed in the first three years.
Peppers made an immediate impact in Week 1 vs. the Detroit Lions
. He forced a Matthew Stafford
fumble with 29 seconds to go in the first half. The strip-sack also injured Stafford. In Week 5, Peppers went back home to play the Carolina Panthers
. His biggest play of the game was when he tipped a Jimmy Clausen
pass and proceeded to intercept it, by diving underneath the ball. He finished the year with forty-three tackles, eight sacks and two interceptions. His impact was most felt with regards to putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, redirecting running plays, or assisting on the tackle. Peppers finished fourth in voting for the NFL's 2010 AP Defensive Player of the Year Award, which was won by Pittsburgh Steelers
safety
Troy Polamalu
.
In February 2009, Peppers donated $500,000 to a scholarship program that supports black students at his alma mater of North Carolina. Peppers's donation will go to the Light on the Hill Society Scholarship, a tribute to UNC's earliest black graduates. It helps alumni and friends support black freshmen who show the potential for academic excellence at UNC and after they graduate.
Peppers is referenced in the Nelly
song "Heart of a Champion", and made a cameo appearance in Nelly's video "Hot In Herre
".
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Nicknamed The Freak of Nature, he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
.
Early years
The youngest of three siblings, Peppers was born in Wilson, North CarolinaWilson, North Carolina
Wilson is a city and the county seat of Wilson County in the Coastal Plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 18th largest city in the state, Wilson had a population of 49,167 according to the 2010 census.- Geography :...
, and raised in nearby Bailey
Bailey, North Carolina
Bailey is a town in Nash County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 684 at the 2008 census.-Geography:Bailey is located at ....
. By the time he was a freshman at Southern Nash Senior High School
Southern Nash High School
Southern Nash High School is a public high school in Bailey, North Carolina. It is one of four high schools in Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools and has the second-largest enrollment of the four.-History:...
, Peppers had grown to 6 in 5 in (1.96 m), 225 lb (102.1 kg). Ray Davis, the football coach at Southern Nash, felt that Peppers would be an asset on the gridiron for the Firebirds, despite the fact that Peppers had never played football before. Davis' gamble would pay off. During his high school career, Peppers played running back and defensive lineman, finished his career with 3,501 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns, and was one of the most dangerous defensive linemen in the state. He also lettered in basketball and was voted All-Conference as a power forward for four consecutive years. In 1998, Southern Nash won the state championship in track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
for the first time in the school's history. Peppers contributed as a sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
, winning the state championship in the 4×200 meter team relay and as a triple jumper. During his senior year (1997–98), he was named to the PARADE
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-America team in football as an all-purpose talent and was also named Male Athlete of the Year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association
North Carolina High School Athletic Association
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association is the governing organization of high school athletics in North Carolina, United States. The association maintains the official rule books and governs the officiating standards across the state....
. In 2005, Peppers was named by the Rocky Mount Telegram newspaper as one of the 50 Greatest Athletes from the Nash
Nash County, North Carolina
Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 87,420. Its county seat is Nashville.- History :...
/Edgecombe
Edgecombe County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 55,606 people, 20,392 households, and 14,804 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 24,002 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile...
(Twin County) area.
Football
Peppers played defensive end for the UNC Tar HeelsNorth Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
, where he won the Chuck Bednarik Award
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
for the nation's top defensive player and the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
as the best collegiate lineman in 2001. Peppers also won the Bill Willis Trophy as the nation's best defensive lineman. Peppers redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his freshman season. Peppers led the entire nation in sacks with 15 his sophomore season. In the three seasons at North Carolina, Peppers started 33 of the 34 games he played in. He is currently ranked second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks. He accumulated 53 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 167 tackles, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, 13 passes deflected, and 43 quarterback pressures (hurries) and returned two interceptions and one fumble recovery for touchdowns.
Awards and honors
- Sporting News Freshman All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (1999) - First-team All-ACCAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(2000) - Second-team APAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-American (2000) - Second-team Football News All-American (2000)
- Consensus First-team All-ACC (2001)
- Consensus First-team All-American2001 College Football All-America TeamThe 2001 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, Football News and Sports IllustratedThe...
(2001) - Bronko Nagurski TrophyBronko Nagurski TrophyThe Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
finalist (2001)
Basketball
While at the University of North Carolina, Peppers was also a walk-on member of the men's basketball team. One of the main reasons he chose UNC over Duke (he was heavily recruited by Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski to play basketball for Duke) was that Carolina football coach, Carl TorbushCarl Torbush
Carl William Torbush Jr. was the college football Defensive Coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, KS...
, said he could play football and then be a walk-on for Bill Guthridge on the UNC men's basketball team. He was a key reserve on the 1999-2000 Tar Heels team that made it to the Final Four. Peppers was also a key reserve on the 2000-2001 men's basketball team. In the NCAA Tournament, Peppers scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a loss to Penn State in the second round. After the season, Peppers decided to focus solely on football and academics and did not play basketball in his final season.
Carolina Panthers
In the 2002 NFL Draft2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
, Peppers was selected by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
as the second overall pick behind first overall pick, quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
David Carr
David Carr
David Duke Carr is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Peppers ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at 290 pounds (131.5 kg) and completed 22 bench press reps at his pro day. Peppers made an immediate impact and was named The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
NFL Rookie of the Year Award
Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. During his rookie season, Peppers tallied 36 tackles, 12 sacks, 1 interception, and 5 forced fumbles. On October 13, 2002, Peppers became only the third player in NFL history to amass three sacks and an interception in the same game. With four games remaining in the season, Peppers was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy for taking a banned dietary supplement.
In 2003, during the Panthers' Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
run, he had 46 tackles, seven sacks, and three forced fumbles. The next year, Peppers was selected to his first ever Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
with 65 tackles, 11 sacks, two interceptions, four forced fumbles, and two touchdowns. On October 15, 2006, Peppers became the Panthers' all-time sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
leader.
Peppers is known as one of the most athletic and versatile players in the NFL, his freakish athleticism earned him the nickname, "The Freak of Nature". In his career, Peppers has 11 blocked kicks (extra points and field goal attempts) ranking second all time in NFL history. Peppers has had double-digit sacks in all but three seasons. In 2008, Julius Peppers was voted to the 2009
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
, where he recorded an interception.
Following Mike Minter
Mike Minter
Michael Christopher Minter is a retired American football safety who played his entire professional career with the NFL's Carolina Panthers.-High school and college:...
's retirement, Peppers was named as the Panthers defensive captain. He and Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
are the only people to ever play in both the NCAA men's basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
and the NFL's Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
On January 16, 2009, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that Peppers told ESPN's Chris Mortensen
Chris Mortensen
Chris "Mort" Mortensen , an award-winning journalist, provides reports for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com...
he did not intend to re-sign a long-term deal with the Carolina Panthers and would like to explore options with another team, specifically one with a 3-4 defensive formation. He also expressed the desire or willingness to convert from a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
to an outside linebacker. Peppers said he would request a trade if franchise tagged. However, despite his request, the Panthers would place the Franchise tag
Franchise Tag
In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag and one...
on him on February 19. On February 22, 2010, Adam Schefter reported that the Panthers would not place the franchise tag on Peppers, leaving him an unrestricted free agent, free to pursue a contract with another team.
Chicago Bears
On March 5, 2010, the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed Peppers to a six-year contract worth $91.5 million, with $42 million guaranteed in the first three years.
Peppers made an immediate impact in Week 1 vs. the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. He forced a Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
fumble with 29 seconds to go in the first half. The strip-sack also injured Stafford. In Week 5, Peppers went back home to play the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. His biggest play of the game was when he tipped a Jimmy Clausen
Jimmy Clausen
James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.-High school career:Clausen had an outstanding prep career...
pass and proceeded to intercept it, by diving underneath the ball. He finished the year with forty-three tackles, eight sacks and two interceptions. His impact was most felt with regards to putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, redirecting running plays, or assisting on the tackle. Peppers finished fourth in voting for the NFL's 2010 AP Defensive Player of the Year Award, which was won by Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
safety
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
.
NFL awards and honors
- NFL Rookies of the Month (10/02)
- 2002 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
- 2004 NFC Defensive Player of the Year
- Pro Football WeeklyPro Football WeeklyPro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
All-Rookie Team (2002)
- NFL 2000's All Decade Team
- 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 NFC Pro Bowl
- 2004, 2006, 2010 All-Pro First Team
- 2008, 2009 All-Pro Second Team
- Four time NFCNational Football ConferenceThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Defensive Player of the Month (11/2004, 10/2006, 11/2010, 11/2011)
- Four time NFC Defensive Player of the Week (11/13/06, 11/9/08, 11/1/09, 11/18/10)
Personal
Peppers was born to Bessie Brinkley, who gave Julius the last name of her second husband. Peppers has stated that he is not close with his father, George Kearney, stating "We weren't tight. I mean, I didn't call him up all the time, nothing like that. It was kind of awkward, and it still is now. I can't really get into depth with him in conversation. I really don't feel comfortable talking to him like that. I just don't."In February 2009, Peppers donated $500,000 to a scholarship program that supports black students at his alma mater of North Carolina. Peppers's donation will go to the Light on the Hill Society Scholarship, a tribute to UNC's earliest black graduates. It helps alumni and friends support black freshmen who show the potential for academic excellence at UNC and after they graduate.
Peppers is referenced in the Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
song "Heart of a Champion", and made a cameo appearance in Nelly's video "Hot In Herre
Hot in Herre
"Hot in Herre" is a popular song and single performed by the hip-hop artist Nelly, and was released in 2002 as the first single on his album Nellyville. The song's producers were The Neptunes...
".