What a ride it has been. A star at North Carolina in both basketball and football, Julius Peppers was selected second overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Peppers was named to the Pro Bowl nine times, and both the first and second All-Pro teams three times each. In his rookie season, he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002, where he recorded 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception, all while playing in only 12 games. He was also named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
On Friday, he finally announced he was hanging up his cleats for good after 17 seasons:
