Julius Peppers was among seven NFL legends inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. During his induction speech, Peppers gave a special shoutout to his idol and fellow UNC alum Michael Jordan, who was in attendance for the event.
“And this ain’t in my speech, but I’m gonna say it anyway,” Peppers said. “While I’m talking about Chapel Hill and North Carolina, and I know this is the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I ain’t gonna sit up here and act like my idol, and one of the reasons I went to Chapel Hill, is not in the building. The GOAT, His Airness, Michael Jordan. MJ, I want to thank you for the inspiration and the memories. I love you, big bro.”
Julius Peppers shared heartwarming moment with fellow #UNC legend Michael Jordan at Hall of Fame enshrinement.
“I’m not going to sit up here and act like my idol and one of the reasons I went to Chapel Hill is not in the building….
“MJ, I love you big bro.” 🩵 pic.twitter.com/l8R6tHhf24
— Grant Hughes (@GrantHughesNC) August 3, 2024
It is incredible to see how many people Jordan inspired. He first shot to prominence during his time with the North Carolina Tar Heels, as he won the national championship with them in 1982.
Jordan has been an iconic figure in the area ever since and it’s not surprising that Peppers, who was born in Wilson, North Carolina in 1980, looked up to him. He chose to follow in his idol’s footsteps in 1998 by heading to UNC.
Peppers played both football and basketball for the Tar Heels. It was clear, though, that he was far better at football than basketball, so he focused solely on that sport in his final season and it was the right decision.
Peppers ended up being selected with the second pick of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He played 17 seasons in the NFL and recorded 159.5 sacks, good enough for fourth-most in league history. The 44-year-old was a nine-time pro-bowler and made six All-Pro teams as well.
Peppers also made the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2000s and 2010s. With a resume like that, it wasn’t all that surprising that he made the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Making it in this year with Peppers were Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, and Patrick Willis. Jordan was actually in attendance for Freeney, who he has been friends with for about 20 years.
Michael Jordan Was Inducted Into The Naismith Memorial Hall Of Fame In 2009
Aug. 3, 2024, will be a day that those seven men and their families will never forget. In Jordan’s case, that special day was Sep. 11, 2009, as he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame by David Thompson, his childhood hero.
Jordan, who won six titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, and 10 scoring titles in his career, delivered an unforgettable speech that night. He thanked his friends and family but also took some shots at his “enemies” like former Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause.
A year later, Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame again as a member of the 1992 Dream Team. He also made the FIBA Hall of Fame twice, first in 2015 as a player and then in 2017 as a member of the Dream Team.
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