In his prime, Julius Peppers was one of the most impressive physical specimens in football, a 290-pound defensive end who could run and jump like the basketball player he was at North Carolina. But at age 34, is Peppers still the same kind of player?
He is according to Packers defensive end Mike Daniels, who’s 10 years younger than Peppers and in awe of what his older teammate can do.
“You’re going to hear me talking about Julius Peppers all off-season,” Daniels told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Julius Peppers is by every means of the word a freak of nature. I don’t think age is going to affect him too much. And he’s got some pretty good players lined up with him. Our front seven is very good. When you add the element of Julius Peppers to that. The sky’s the limit in my opinion.”
Daniels says Peppers will be imposing both on the field and in the Packers’ locker room.
“When you’ve got Peppers, it’s hard to ignore him,” Daniels said. “I don’t know if you’ve had the opportunity to see him, to get on the field after a game or something. Oh my God. Wait until you see him in person when he comes in the locker room. It might scare you. That’s a big man. I can’t wait to get on the field with him. I can’t wait to learn from him professionally. He’s got it done. He knows what it takes. He’s done it the right way. I can’t wait to get working with him.”
In Daniels, Peppers has a teammate who’s also a big fan.