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Peppers: Positively perfect pick
By Darin Gantt The Herald
(Published December 22‚ 2004)
CHARLOTTE -- Looking back, it's amazing anyone thought it was a choice at all.
Less than three years ago, the Carolina Panthers had to make what amounted to the first pick in the 2002 draft, since the Houston Texans declared they were starting with quarterback David Carr.
Given the money the Panthers would have to pay and the sorry condition of the roster, hitting anything less than a home run wasn't an option.
Taking University of North Carolina pass-rusher Julius Peppers was considered a swing-from-the-heels gamble. Turns out, it was a solid stroke and cleared the fences by a mile.
It's still sailing.
Three years ago, Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington and Texas cornerback Quentin Jammer seemed safer picks for the Panthers, who needed one of everything.
If not Harrington, they'd enter the season with Rodney Peete and Chris Weinke at quarterback. If not Jammer, Reggie Howard and Terry Cousin.
As it turns out, all those options were more than serviceable for a year, and none of the potential picks have shown to be more than decent pros.
Folks didn't know if Peppers played hard every down and if he was big enough to stand up a tackle and play the run.
None of those people worked for the Panthers.
While there seemed to be much hand-wringing and gnashing of computer keys at the time, the Panthers seemed strangely calm, because they had looked under every rock, talked to everyone they could find and watched every frame of film.
They saw a beast, a man-child, the guy now being called the defensive Michael Vick.
Picking Peppers didn't seem risky at all to them.
"Everybody in evaluations has their own opinions," Panthers coach John Fox said. "We saw a guy who was one sack away from breaking the all-time record at (North Carolina), and he still had a year left. The guy who he happened to get close to had a pretty good pro career (Lawrence Taylor).
"If a guy is productive and he's not a finished product, that makes him even more valuable in the sense that he's just going to get better. We felt unanimously in our organization that he should be our selection, and we have no regrets."
Fox and general manager Marty Hurney admitted Peppers was raw, but never viewed him as a dicey prospect.
They knew it might take a few years to become a refined player, and look at him now.
Sure, he can collect sacks, but that's probably the easiest thing for a player with young legs. Peppers has learned to play the run and to drop back into coverage.
He hardly seems fazed and dismisses the hoopla that has begun to surround him.
A few weeks ago, talking about another of his phenomenal athletic feats, Peppers spoke of his ambition.
"I want to be the prototype defensive end, not just a guy who gets sacks and rushes the passer," he said.
He just wants to revolutionize his position, change the standards by which defensive ends are judged.
That's all.
Some of this year's plays are moving him in that direction.
He made back-to-back plays in Denver that still boggle the mind, running quarterback Jake Plummer out of bounds when no one else could get to him and intercepting a pass and returning it 101 yards before collapsing in the altitude.
He topped that against Tampa Bay, coming from the other side of the field to tackle running back Michael Pittman, actually running past him and reaching back with one arm. He also blocked a kick, finishing off a seven-sack month.
Now, he's taking snaps on offense, opening a new world of possibilities. He hasn't caught a pass, but he will. As he showed on Nick Goings' late touchdown against Atlanta last week, he can block, too.
"It was very good," Fox said, grinning. "I don't think he's practiced that a whole lot, either."
By the way, he scooped up a fumble and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown, a play on which no Falcon (not even Vick) was going to run him down.
It makes you wonder if there's anything he can't do.
"He played at a very high level in major college football without spring ball, being a dual-sport guy," Fox said. "Since he has been a pro, he's been able to dedicate all of his time during the season and the offseason to becoming an impact defensive end.
"That's why you're starting to see more of those types of plays, because the game is moving slower for him and he's getting better."
Looking back, it hardly seemed possible he'd be this dominant -- at least to those outside the Panthers' organization.
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Peppers: Positively perfect pick
By Darin Gantt The Herald
(Published December 22‚ 2004)
CHARLOTTE -- Looking back, it's amazing anyone thought it was a choice at all.
Less than three years ago, the Carolina Panthers had to make what amounted to the first pick in the 2002 draft, since the Houston Texans declared they were starting with quarterback David Carr.
Given the money the Panthers would have to pay and the sorry condition of the roster, hitting anything less than a home run wasn't an option.
Taking University of North Carolina pass-rusher Julius Peppers was considered a swing-from-the-heels gamble. Turns out, it was a solid stroke and cleared the fences by a mile.
It's still sailing.
Three years ago, Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington and Texas cornerback Quentin Jammer seemed safer picks for the Panthers, who needed one of everything.
If not Harrington, they'd enter the season with Rodney Peete and Chris Weinke at quarterback. If not Jammer, Reggie Howard and Terry Cousin.
As it turns out, all those options were more than serviceable for a year, and none of the potential picks have shown to be more than decent pros.
Folks didn't know if Peppers played hard every down and if he was big enough to stand up a tackle and play the run.
None of those people worked for the Panthers.
While there seemed to be much hand-wringing and gnashing of computer keys at the time, the Panthers seemed strangely calm, because they had looked under every rock, talked to everyone they could find and watched every frame of film.
They saw a beast, a man-child, the guy now being called the defensive Michael Vick.
Picking Peppers didn't seem risky at all to them.
"Everybody in evaluations has their own opinions," Panthers coach John Fox said. "We saw a guy who was one sack away from breaking the all-time record at (North Carolina), and he still had a year left. The guy who he happened to get close to had a pretty good pro career (Lawrence Taylor).
"If a guy is productive and he's not a finished product, that makes him even more valuable in the sense that he's just going to get better. We felt unanimously in our organization that he should be our selection, and we have no regrets."
Fox and general manager Marty Hurney admitted Peppers was raw, but never viewed him as a dicey prospect.
They knew it might take a few years to become a refined player, and look at him now.
Sure, he can collect sacks, but that's probably the easiest thing for a player with young legs. Peppers has learned to play the run and to drop back into coverage.
He hardly seems fazed and dismisses the hoopla that has begun to surround him.
A few weeks ago, talking about another of his phenomenal athletic feats, Peppers spoke of his ambition.
"I want to be the prototype defensive end, not just a guy who gets sacks and rushes the passer," he said.
He just wants to revolutionize his position, change the standards by which defensive ends are judged.
That's all.
Some of this year's plays are moving him in that direction.
He made back-to-back plays in Denver that still boggle the mind, running quarterback Jake Plummer out of bounds when no one else could get to him and intercepting a pass and returning it 101 yards before collapsing in the altitude.
He topped that against Tampa Bay, coming from the other side of the field to tackle running back Michael Pittman, actually running past him and reaching back with one arm. He also blocked a kick, finishing off a seven-sack month.
Now, he's taking snaps on offense, opening a new world of possibilities. He hasn't caught a pass, but he will. As he showed on Nick Goings' late touchdown against Atlanta last week, he can block, too.
"It was very good," Fox said, grinning. "I don't think he's practiced that a whole lot, either."
By the way, he scooped up a fumble and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown, a play on which no Falcon (not even Vick) was going to run him down.
It makes you wonder if there's anything he can't do.
"He played at a very high level in major college football without spring ball, being a dual-sport guy," Fox said. "Since he has been a pro, he's been able to dedicate all of his time during the season and the offseason to becoming an impact defensive end.
"That's why you're starting to see more of those types of plays, because the game is moving slower for him and he's getting better."
Looking back, it hardly seemed possible he'd be this dominant -- at least to those outside the Panthers' organization.
[email protected]
