Julius Peppers is a first ballot Hall of Famer

The former star pass rusher will now be enshrined in Canton

Julius Peppers has been elected as the 377th member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He is a first ballot Hall of Famer and that is only befitting a man of his rare talent. Peppers is the fourth former Carolina Panther to be elected to the Hall, but he is the first Panther who made his name in the Carolinas to be elected.

Peppers was the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft and played for the Panthers from 2002 to 2009 and 2017 to 2018 in addition to stints with the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. His list of accomplishments in the NFL is incredible, beginning with his Defensive Rookie of the Year award and stretching through nine pro bowls, four First-team All-Pro selections, three Second-team All-Pro selections, and the fourth most sacks (159.5) all-time in the NFL. 97 of those sacks where with the Carolina Panthers.

You can read more on what it means for Peppers to be a first ballot inductee in this excellent piece by Darin Gantt.

The Panthers couldn’t have asked for a better ambassador to history than Peppers. As the first player drafted by the team to be inducted into the hall, Peppers has not only the on-field resume and philanthropic bonafides, but also the kind of Carolina roots to help bring this honor home.

We all have a favorite Peppers moment from his ten years in Charlotte. Go ahead and share yours in the comments below.