The Carolina Panthers and the NFL are lucky that Julius Peppers chose to play football, because he probably could have been a success playing another sport. Before Peppers was picked by the Panthers in the first round of the 2002 draft, he also had played basketball at North Carolina.
Peppers didn’t get a ton of playing time on the court and only averaged 5.7 points per game in his college career. However, his size and athleticism were enough to tempt at least one NBA team. According to a report by Joseph Person of The Athletic, the then-Charlotte Bobcats considered bringing him in for a workout, according to a college teammate whose father was an assistant coach.
“My father (Jeff) was an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats when Pep was playing, when he started out with the Panthers the first time around. That’s in the early stages (of) the Bobcats, expansion team, and really just getting started. They had conversations about bringing Pep in, and I’m not just saying that. They had conversations as an organization about bringing Pep in.”
The Bobcats weren’t alone in recognizing his talent. Here’s UNC coach Roy Williams talking about Peppers’ basketball ability.
Legendary.
Peppers announced his retirement from football on Friday.
