CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Next stop for Julius Peppers, the Pro Football of Fame. First ballot. Unanimous.
It will be an injustice if the Carolina Panthers defensive end, who announced on Friday his retirement after 17 NFL seasons, doesn't get into the football shrine in Canton, Ohio, on the first vote when he becomes eligible in five years.
The 39-year-old described as a "freak of nature" from the day he entered the NFL as the No. 2 overall pick in 2002 until his final snap on Dec. 30 deserves it as much as anyone who has played the game for what he did on and off the field.