NFL alums Julius Peppers (above right) and Muhsin Muhammad (above left) are “coming home” to Carolina one more time this month when they are enshrined in the Panthers Hall of Honor on October 29.
Everyone in the Panthers’ circle of supporters is pleased the brilliant pair is going into the Hall together, and that includes team owner David Tepper.
“Julius and Muhsin were drafted by the Panthers, and both became All-Pros here,” says Tepper, who bought the team in 2018 which was Peppers’ last season in the league. “Both came back to finish their careers (Muhammad in 2008 and Peppers in 2017). This is yet another homecoming, a permanent one. They both deserve to join the distinguished group of Panthers in the Hall of Honors.”
Muhammad was a second-round draft choice in 1996 who earned two Pro Bowl nominations with the Panthers. He signed as a free agent with the Bears in 2005 but returned to Carolina three years later to complete his 14-year NFL career. The Panthers second all-time leading receiver (860 catches, 11,000-plus yards) is grateful he returned to Charlotte when he did.
“I think absence makes the heart grow fonder to a certain degree,” says Muhammad, a managing director now at Axum Capital Partners. “I think a lot of people at times don’t appreciate what they have until it is gone.”
Peppers was the second overall pick in the 2002 Draft and lived up to that billing. After being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, he played in nine Pro Bowls during his 17-year career and is fourth on the league’s all-time sack list with 159.5. He left the Panthers to play with the Bears (2010-2013) and Packers (2014-2016) before returning to Carolina. He left a positive impression on his teammates wherever he played.
“I loved my time with Julius in Green Bay,” says Aaron Rodgers. “I still consider him to be a dear friend. He was a great player and teammate. My only sadness was that we were not able to earn a Super Bowl ring while he was with the Packers because very few players in the league deserve a ring more than he did.”
We at NFL Alumni look forward to the Hall of Honor ceremony in Carolina on October 29 when Julius Peppers and Muhsin Muhammad receive this well-deserved recognition.
