It was recently announced that the Carolina Panthers will soon have two new inductees for the team’s Hall of Honor. They announced on Monday that those new legendary members will be none other than Julius Peppers and Muhsin Muhammad.
Both were fan favorites throughout their multiple stints with the team and now will be immortalized forever. They will be officially inducted on Oct. 29 during a halftime ceremony of the week eight matchup against the Houston Texans. Afterwards, the Carolina Hall of Honor will be up to eight members.
Julius Peppers
Peppers was a phenomenal dual sport athlete at UNC, but decided to pursue a career in the NFL. This immediately proved to be a smart decision, as the Panthers chose to keep the defensive end in Carolina by drafting him second overall in 2002.
He was a force to be reckoned with from the get-go, racking up 36 tackles and 12 sacks in his rookie year. This earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The impressive performances continued for Peppers, as he tallied up 81 sacks through his first eight years with the Panthers. In that time he was named to the All-Pro First Team two times. He was also selected for the Pro Bowl on five different occasions.
In 2010 he opted for a change of scenery, joining the Chicago Bears in free agency. His dominance continued there for four years before he eventually joined the Green Bay Packers. After another three years in the NFC North, he returned home and joined the Panthers once again.
He quickly returned to form once he was in a Panthers uniform, scoring 16 sacks in his final two seasons. Through 10 years as a Panther, he racked up 441 tackles and 97 sacks. Including his time with his other two teams, he scored a total of 719 tackles, 159.5 sacks and 11 interceptions. He stands alone as the only player in NFL history with 150+ sacks and 10+ interceptions.
Peppers was selected for nine Pro Bowls and was named to the All-Pro First Team three times. He was also honored with selections for the Hall of Fame All-2000s and All-2010s teams.Â
Muhsin Muhammad
After four years at Michigan State, Muhsin Muhammad entered the 1996 NFL Draft. The wideout didn’t stay on the board for too long, as the Panthers selected him with the 43rd overall pick. The Panthers were a brand new team searching for star-level talent, and they found just that in Muhammad.
He had a few quiet years to start off his career, but burst onto the scene during his third season. In 1998, Muhammad hauled in 68 catches for 941 yards and six touchdowns. He didn’t slow down the following year, improving in every stat with 96 catches, 1,253 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. This stellar year earned him his first career Pro Bowl bid.
His initial run with the Panthers lasted nine years, and included two Pro Bowl selections. He was named to the All-Pro First Team in 2004, the year where the Panthers made their first-ever Super Bowl. Muhammad led the entire NFL that season with 1,405 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.
He and his partner in crime, Steve Smith, were dominant throughout the whole year, and nearly had a Lombardi trophy to show for it. They lost to a young Tom Brady and the New England Patriots by a score of 32-29. Muhammad still holds the record for longest reception in Super Bowl history after his 85-yard touchdown catch from Jake Delhomme.
After failing to agree on a contract in the following offseason, he joined the Chicago Bears. He stayed in Chicago for three years before returning to Carolina for the final two years of his career. His final stats as a Panther were 696 catches for 9,255 yards and 50 touchdowns. Including his time with the Bears, his final career tallies were 860 catches, 11,438 receiving yards and 62 touchdowns.
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Featured image courtesy of the Carolina Panthers.
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