Hall of Famer Julius Peppers drew motivation from working hot summers in North Carolina
Julius Peppers was a member of two NFL all-decade teams and finished his career with 159 1/2 sacks
By STEVE REED
Published - Jul 29, 2024, 01:46 PM ET
Last Updated - Jul 29, 2024, 01:46 PM EDT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Julius Peppers remembers the long, grueling dawn-until-dusk summer days he spent working in the cotton and cucumbers fields of North Carolina’s Nash County and dealing with the heat.
It wasn’t easy at the time, spending every summer from when he was 9 years old until he graduated high school in the 90-degree conditions.
But he doesn’t regret it for a minute.
Peppers realized early on it wasn’t what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, and he said it’s ultimately what drove him to work so hard on the football field and helped him earn a football scholarship to North Carolina.
