Bears DE Peppers looks back on his years in Carolina

Until seven months ago, Julius Peppers had lived in North Carolina his entire life.

But he won't be offended if Panthers fans boo him when he and the Bears take the field at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium Sunday.

“That's what fans do, Peppers said. “It's part of the game. You're there to boo the opposing team, and I'm not a part of the team anymore, so I understand that.

Peppers grew up about three hours from Charlotte in Bailey, N.C., population 684. He played football and basketball at the University of North Carolina and was drafted second overall in 2002 by the Panthers.

That level of comfort was a perfect fit at the time, he said.

“It allowed me to stay at home and grow a little bit as a person because I still had a strong support system there and a strong circle of friends, he said. “In that aspect it allowed me to grow up as a man more than anything.

By the end of last season, it was clear to Peppers that it was time to go, even after five Pro Bowls and double-digit sack totals in six of his eight seasons. He acknowledges that his relationship with the Panthers “ended a little sour.

According to Peppers, the Panthers made no effort to re-sign him and he was never informed of their decision to let him go.

“I felt it could have been a little more respectful, he said. “At least a phone call. They couldn't even give me that. They tried to turn the tables and make it look like I wanted out no matter what. (But) I didn't have the option to stay.

Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said the team offered to make Peppers the NFL's highest-paid defensive player, but Peppers said those offers came “a couple of years ago.

The Panthers placed the “franchise tag on Peppers before last year, when he made $18.2 million and was the league's highest-paid player. He wanted the security he got with a six-year, $91.5 million contract from the Bears.

Despite leaving behind his support system, Peppers said he hasn't struggled with the adjustment to a new team and a new home.

“The transition has been fairly smooth, Peppers said. “Off the field, everything has been smooth. On the field, pretty much the same. There haven't been too many hiccups. The transition and me getting here has been everything that I expected and it really couldn't be any better.

His arrival was met with great expectations, but that's something Peppers has dealt with since he first stepped on a high school football field as a 6-foot-5, 225-pound freshman. It wasn't long after that that opposing teams started game-planning specifically to stop him.

“I've been dealing with this my whole career, so I'm used to it and I pretty much know what kind of things the other teams like to do to take away some of the better defensive ends, Peppers said. “Really it's a normal thing now. I don't pay any attention to it.

Despite the schemes, Peppers leads the Bears with 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles and is second with 5 quarterback pressures. And the numbers don't fully explain what he has meant to the defense.

“He's getting held three or four times a game, middle linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “He's a great athlete, and he's a phenomenal football player. He sees things happen before they happen, and it's going to be fun to play behind him.

Peppers is just as happy to be playing in front of Urlacher and Lance Briggs as they are to be playing behind him.

“Those guys are unbelievable, Peppers said. “That's one of the reasons that I came here was to play on a team like this and to play with linebackers who come downhill and hit people. I've admired those guys and the work they've done for (almost) 10 years. It's an honor to be on the same team.

Follow Bob LeGere's Bears reports via Twitter@BobLeGere. Check out his blog, Bear Essentials, at DailyHerald.com.