CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers clung to a 10-7 lead over the Baltimore Ravens with 1:27 remaining in the 2002 season opener when blitzing Panthers rookie defensive end Julius Peppers deflected a pass into the hands of linebacker Dan Morgan.
The play ended a 15-game losing streak for the Panthers, who were coming off an NFL-worst 1-15 season.
For Peppers, it signaled he belonged in the NFL after the Panthers were questioned for making him the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, the beginning of a 17-year journey that has landed him in the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.