How Julius Peppers said ‘goodbye’ to the Panthers, for now, in his own way
It might not have been the last time we see Julius Peppers at Bank of America Stadium, but the number of visits he has left are few.
And, Peppers showed Friday, the visits are precious.
They are how we can truly know and understand his lasting impact, even as he leaves the NFL.
Friday, Peppers presented three $10,000 checks to the leaders of the Young Black Leadership Alliance, the Girl Talk Foundation and the Center for Community Transitions, which were all beneficiaries of his Charity Sneaker Ball in Charlotte in February.
Peppers knew there would also be questions about his January announcement to retire, because this was his first media event since then. But the charities and their impact on the community were the headliners.
He wanted it that way.
Peppers, a future first-ballot Hall of Fame defensive end, has always wanted others at the center of attention instead of himself; he has always stood near the back for photos, quietly near the walls of crowded rooms and sat silently and contemplatively in team meetings.
Friday’s event was similar. As leaders from each organization spoke to the small assembly of local media about their goals and hopes for Charlotte’s young people and the assistance Peppers’ money would provide, he stood quietly on one side of the room, near the door. It was only after the groups left that Peppers allowed the focus to be back on himself, and his life after his decision to retire.
Peppers said he’s spending a lot of his new free time simply enjoying small moments, now that he’s not in training or reporting to spring workouts. He’s taking his young children to school and going to youth sports practices. He’s running errands and catching up on quiet time.
“Doing a lot of ‘regular’ stuff,” he laughed.
And, he’s building a charitable foundation in his own name that will continue to support the three charities he highlighted Friday, among others. Peppers has been so quiet during his 17-year career, but now he will begin to unpack himself bit by bit, share himself with those who he sees need him.
“We’re going to be in the community a lot more,” he said. “I haven’t been as visible in the past as I would have liked to have been with these type of things, but moving forward I envision a lot more activity in the community.”
Peppers began to be more visible in his off-the-field efforts during the 2018 season, after Hurricane Florence ravaged his hometown in eastern North Carolina and the surrounding region. He began a hurricane relief fund, and traveled throughout the Carolinas to work with groups to rebuild homes and provide food and shelter to those who were affected by the storms. He was named a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his efforts.
Yet quiet acts of kindness, empowerment and leadership will be just as much a part of Peppers’ legacy as the projects he will publicly pursue.
His most important acts weren’t when he was asked to pose for photos or public relations videos as he worked on houses destroyed by Florence. It was in the smaller moments, when a few fathers brought their sons up to speak with him. Peppers connected instantly with the young men, listening to their dreams and shaking their small hands in his own massive one.
Janine Davis, the founder of Girl Talk, revealed Friday that Peppers actually made a $5,000 donation to the organization 15 years ago, in its inaugural year. Nobody knew about it but Peppers, and the people within the organization. That was what he intended.
“It was just from the heart,” he said.
Teammates of Peppers always said that he rarely spoke in meetings or at practice. But when he did, they knew to sit up a little straighter and listen closely. A person can learn a lot from him, from just doing that.
Friday, Peppers faded a little into the background by design, as each leader spoke. He smiled proudly when they thanked him for his donations, shook hands and doled out hugs as the group left the room. He looked at his shoes when a speaker at the podium praised him. His eyes were full from time to time, but his smile never wavered as he leaned against the side of the wall.
Did he consider his legacy, then?
Probably not. That’s not his way. Instead, he soaked in the joy emanating from others in the room. To watch him in that moment was to know he felt it with them.
“I try to stay in the present,” Peppers said. “I don’t look at myself in that light. I just live day to day, in the present. And I try to just be that best version of myself every day — I don’t look too far behind, I don’t look too far forward.
“I just stay here and try to do it now.”
A lesson, if we sit up a little straighter and listen.
After he finished answering questions — and cracked a couple of jokes — Peppers thanked us for our time and slipped out of the room.
It probably wasn’t the last time we will see him at Bank of America Stadium — new team owner David Tepper will make sure of that, as he plans to expands the Ring of Honor — but when Peppers left the room Friday, it felt quietly final.
And it was was so very fitting of his career, and of himself.
Give a lot, say only a little, but make sure every word matters.
This story was originally published April 5, 2019 at 7:16 PM.
