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Hoop dreams and football realities for Hall of Famers Julius Peppers and Dwight Freeney
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- Hoop dreams and football realities for Hall of Famers Julius Peppers and Dwight Freeney
CANTON— The question was posed to Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers about how the two former "high level" basketball players knew when it was time to focus on football.
Freeney quickly corrected the reporter.
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"I didn't play at a high level. He played at a high level," said a smiling Freeney, motioning to his fellow defensive end and Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee seated to his right. "My level was not high."
Enshrinee Julius Pepper speaks to media at the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Famer walk and Photo Op in Canton. Friday, August 02, 2024.
Freeney and Peppers spoke Friday afternoon during media availability for the Hall's 2024 class , held at The Repository.
Freeney loved hoops, so much that his famous spin move that helped him rack up 125.5 career sacks took inspiration from the flair and showmanship of the old And1 Mixtape Tour.
But there wasn't any flair in his basketball game, which never extended beyond high school. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 268 pounds during his 16-year NFL playing career, Freeney described himself as "Charles Barkely without the jumper or the offensive game" on the basketball court.
Colt Dwight Freeney and his traditional celebratory salute to the fans after a sack of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, Monday, Nov. 1 2010. Freeney needs 1.5 sacks to become the 26th player in NFL history to reach 100
"I know I'm not going to be a 6-1 power forward in college," Freeney said.
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Peppers is a different story.
Whereas Freeney was a quick, explosive powerhouse in a somewhat squatty frame, Peppers had the long, athletic and yet still powerful build that could translate to multiple athletic arenas.
Such as the football field and basketball court.
Nov 28, 2010; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers (90) tackles Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bears defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Listed at 6-7 and 295 pounds during his 17-year NFL career, Peppers played 56 games over two seasons for the University of North Carolina men's basketball team. He averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 60.7% from the floor. His final NCAA game saw him total 21 points and 10 rebounds in a tournament loss to Penn State.
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As much as Peppers loved basketball, it was on the football field where he really thrived. He was a two-time football All-American at UNC and eventually was the second overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft.
Peppers' 159.5 career sacks rank fourth in NFL history. He's the only player in NFL history to register at least 100 sacks and at least 10 interceptions.
"Nobody had to tell me to choose football. I think, really, football chose me," Peppers said. "When the projections came out for the draft after my junior year of playing football, I knew it was time to make a decision to take the football route."
Asked what he could've done on the basketball court with Peppers' height, Freeney said, "I could've fouled out early in the second quarter."
Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com
On X: @jweirREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Hall of Famers Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers talk basketball
