In addition to being a nine-time Pro Bowler, a six-time All-Pro, and a member of the All-Decade teams in both the 2000s and the 2010s, Julius Peppers can now add “first-ballot Hall-of-Famer” to his impressive resume. Fans of the three teams the former pass-rusher played for during his 17-year NFL career—Carolina, Chicago, and Green Bay—greeted the former second-overall pick as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Originally chosen by Carolina, Peppers found his way to Chicago as the much sought-after free agency of the 2010 offseason. Peppers signed joined the Packers, Chicago’s fiercest rival, after the Bears released him due to cap constraints after four seasons.
In his final season as a full-time starter in 2015, Peppers recorded 10.5 sacks and nine tackles for losses, earning him a spot in his final Pro Bowl. That was Peppers’ greatest season in his three years in Green Bay. Peppers referred to his tenure with the Packers as “three of the best years” of his life during his induction speech.
Peppers was fourth in the NFL’s official sacks category when he departed from the game, behind only Bruce Smith, former Packers player Reggie White, and former Packers coach Kevin Greene.
Following a hearty round of applause from the resolute Chicago contingent gathered in Canton, Ohio for the event, Peppers delivered a “Go Pack Go” that elicited conflicting responses from the assembled crowd.
You can watch all three of those videos down below if you’d like to see Peppers’ full speech, his first sighting of his Hall of Fame bust, or Doctor Carl Carey, one of his close friends, presenting him to the Hall of Fame.
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