University of North Carolina Athletics
A Week With Julius Peppers
December 4, 2001 | Football
Peppers's schedule takes him from Atlanta on Monday to Houston on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Lombardi Award dinner. On Thursday he will fly to Orlando for the Home Depot Awards Show. The show will be televised on ESPN at 9 p.m. The Bednarick Award winner (top defensive player presented by the Maxwell Football Club) will be announced that night along with the Walter Camp All-America Team. Peppers will return to Chapel Hill on Friday and Saturday will attend the UNC Football Banquet. On Sunday, he leaves again for Charlotte, site of the Nagurski Trophy dinner on Monday evening.
Monday, Dec. 10
"Today we had several activities in Charlotte as part of the Nagurski Trophy dinner. First we had breakfast with Linda Cohn and some of the media that morning. We had a leadership forum in the hotel after the breakfast that lasted for a few hours. After lunch at the Sunset Club, we visited some kids at Presbyterian Hospital along with Florida coach Steve Spurrier and signed some autographs for them. We took a lot of pictures at the VIP reception prior to the banquet. My mother, Coach Bunting, Coach Webster, Carl Carey and some other friends showed up for the banquet. Although I didn't win, it was a good experience."
Saturday, Dec. 8
"We had our awards banquet tonight and I was named the top defensive end on the team. It was a good banquet and Harris Barton was our speaker. It was good to be back in Chapel Hill for an entire day because I'm leaving for Charlotte tomorrow night."
Friday, Dec. 7
"I got some sleep and I'm about over my cold. We had another long wait at the airport with another bag check and a random security check at the gate, but we made it home with no problems. It was good to get back home. We practice on Saturday and then we have our football banquet on Saturday evening..."
Home Depot College Football Awards Show - Thursday, Dec. 6
"It was another long day, but it ended up being a great day. I get up a 5 a.m. and make it to the ticket counter at 6 a.m. I barely made it to Orlando because of some confusion with my ticket. The Lombardi people had me going back to Atlanta, but I have another ticket to go to Orlando. Everything gets worked out, but I get pulled aside for a random security check and they have to search my bag. My mother and Carl leave to go home through Atlanta and I make it to my flight with seconds to spare.
ecause of the publicity of the show and all the athletes arriving on the same day, I get a police escort off the plane in Orlando and onto the tarmac where a van is waiting to take me to the hotel. All the other passengers have to go through the terminal. I didn't mind. It was a nice gesture by ESPN.
As soon as I get to the hotel, I dress in my uniform for a phoot shoot by ESPN/ABC. It takes about an hour. Dan Graham, Colorado's tight end, is just finishing up his photo shoot when I arrive. Dan's brother, Josh, played football at Carolina a few years back before transferring to Colorado. I'm not sure if he's still on the team. Anyway, I finish my photo shoot and Dan and I head to Disney World. ESPN gave us some free passes. We rode some rides and hung out for about two hours. The best ride was Aerosmith Rock & Roll and Tower of Terror.
I get back to the hotel and meet up with our football sports information director. I need a tux to wear tonight and we have to go find one really quick. Luckily, we find a men's store called "Shores" in Kissimmee (about 20 minutes away) that has my size. They even had my shoe size (16 wide). We make it back to the hotel one hour before we need to leave to go to the show.
We all sign a few autographs as we enter the show. There are a lot of Gator and Hurricane fans wanting autographs from Ken Dorsey, Ed Reed and Rex Grossman. Inside the theater, they've got all the awards lined up. Alex Brown and I check things out and then the show begins. I'm on the second row and it's really hot in there.
They recognize the Walter Camp All-America team and then about 10:45 they announce the Bednarick Award nominees. I'm one of them. Then they announce the winner and it's me. I walk on stage and do an interview with Chris Fowler, who asks me about my tux. It was great to win the award, especially considering the competition.
I then go back to the press area to take some photos and do a couple of interviews. After the show, I head back to the hotel for some sleep.
Lombardi Award Dinner - Wednesday, Dec. 5
"So far, the third day of the trip has been the best one. It started with a trip to a children's hospital in Houston where I had the chance to visit with some kids who had cancer and other serious illnesses. The other finalists and I signed some autographs for them and had a chance to spend some time getting to know them a little. This visit helped me to see some important things. These kids were fighting for their lives. In comparison, it kind of makes some of the trivial issues that we get bothered about everyday seem meaningless. I could tell that the kids really appreciated the time we spent with them.
After the hospital visit and lunch, it was time to prepare for the banquet. Another tuxedo fitting, some press interviews and pictures...I'm trying to at least sit down for a minute...but it is nearly impossible. One reporter after another...it is hectic. Finally, the other finalists and I attend a reception in which we pose for about 200 different pictures with people on or connected to the Lombardi committee.
After the reception we head to the banquet. I sit down, but can't eat dinner because of the lines of people coming to the head table to get autographs from the finalists. Dom Capers, head coach of the Houston Texans, is the keynote speaker and his speech focuses on working hard and staying focused in an effort to become your best and reach your dreams. Some of the kids from the hospital were there too. Following the speech, each of the finalists was introduced by a representative from their university. I was introduced by my academic counselor and mentor, Dr. Carl Carey. I joked with the crowd that I should probably pay him for giving such a great intro... I said a few words...mainly about my experience with the kids from the hospital earlier in the day and I thanked the committee for their nomination and consideration of me. And finally, after all of the finalists are introduced, Dom Capers gets ready to name the winner. All of a sudden, I noticed that the camerawoman rushed over to me to do a close up shot...it was then that I realized that I could be the winner. Five seconds later...Dom Capers says..."the 2001 Lombardi Award winner is...Julius Peppers from the University of North Carolina..."
Following the announcement, the banquet is over, but there is a press conference and hundreds of pictures and autographs waiting for me. I'm excited, but exhausted when its over. I head up to the hotel room at midnight so that I can get some sleep. I have to wake up at 4:45 a.m. to head to Orlando the next morning...
Lombardi Award - Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 4-5
"A smooth landing and I'm in Houston, Texas, the site of the 2001 Lombardi Awards. A limo driver meets me at the airport and takes me to the hotel.
for his tux. |
After signing autographs for them, we head to a restaurant for snacks and then to the Petroleum Club for a reception. Once at the Petroleum Club, I realize that this place is where all of the millionaire Texas oilmen hang out. We are on penthouse level (the 43rd floor) overlooking downtown Houston...a great site. But the highlight of the night wasn't the sites, the food or the crowd. The best part was that the other finalists and I met with Charlie Casserly and Dom Capers, the general manager and coach of the Houston Texans (the team with the first pick in the NFL draft this year).
After 3 hours and about 50 autographs at the reception, I'm tired. We arrive back at the hotel at 10:00 p.m. and I've got to get some sleep...we start again at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning..."
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ACC Banquet - Monday, Dec. 3
"First of all, that was a great win for the team on Saturday against SMU and I'm excited we have a chance to play in a great game like the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. But now, it's Monday morning, I'm sick with a cold and I've got a plane to catch. After dodging traffic and going through tight airport security, I finally make it to my gate with about 10 minutes to spare. Finally, I get on the plane...headed to Atlanta for the All-ACC Awards Banquet.
Shortly after getting to Atlanta, Peach Bowl officials are there to greet me and the other All-ACC football players. We take a shuttle to the hotel, check-in and almost immediately leave for lunch at the ESPN Zone. Not much happened at lunch, but it was at least a chance to get to know a few of the guys from the other teams.
Later on, I try on my tux, sign some autographs, including some for the members of the Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta. After a couple of interviews, Ryan Sims and I get ready for the banquet. Coach Bunting presents Ryan and I with awards. Everything is going smoothly...except that the symptoms of my cold are setting in. But I'm not too sick to explore Atlanta with Terrance Holt, Levar Fisher and Ryan Sims. We hit a couple of spots, including P-Diddy's (Sean Puffy Combs') restaurant, Justin's. If you're ever in ATL, you should check it out. It's late now and I've got an early wake up call. Talk to you soon. I'm headed to Houston for the Lombardi Award dinner.
