Julius Peppers has always been good at sports in general, rushing the passer in particular.
So if anything stands out about his arrival in Green Bay, it’s how much fun the 34-year-old Peppers is having.
“You look at my last year. Was it one of my better years? Probably not, you know, statistically,” Peppers said. “But if you compare it to a lot of the guys who played last year, it was better than a lot of guys. So, I don’t really think I need to revitalize anything.
“I’m actually having a lot of fun. I’m enjoying it. It’s a little different than what I’ve been used to in the past. I actually think it fits my skill set better than just being down every play. I’m having fun doing it. I’m just enjoying it.”
Peppers has always played with his hand down, though he mentioned wanting to play in a 3-4 when he was trying to bluff his way out of Carolina. But now, he’s playing a hybrid role in the Packers’ 3-4 system, opposite Clay Matthews, where he will get plenty of chances to rush the quarterback instinctively.
“That was one of the things that attracted me to coming, along with all of the other things they having going for themselves – a chance to stand up, move around, drop, rush, play in different positions,” Peppers said. “I think the scheme is set up to create some confusion and get the perfect mismatches on the edge, so be able to stand up and bluff a little bit is going to help the defense.
“It is a new challenge and I’m looking forward to not only proving to myself that I can do it but proving to the outsiders who don’t think I can do it.”
And he’s apparently enjoying himself quite a bit in the process.