Julius knows football. Julius knows basketball. Julius knows sacking the quarterback.
North Carolina's senior two-sport sensation Julius Peppers has been successful anytime he's picked up a ball, whether it's the pigskin or the roundball.
In high school, Peppers was named a Parade magazine All-American in football and won the AAU national championship in basketball. His accomplishments earned him North Carolina high school athlete of the year honors in 1998.
Peppers continued to play both sports for the Tar Heels (3-3, 2-1 ACC). The star defensive end was named a freshman All-American his first season and earned second team All-America honors his sophomore year.
Peppers walked on to the Tar Heel basketball team and played a significant role the past two seasons as North Carolina's sixth man. After basketball ended this year, Peppers decided to focus on football and quit his work on the hardwood.
"It was more based on what I was getting prepared to do after I leave here," Peppers said. "Was I going to try to play a professional sport? I said that if I was going to do that I should get prepared. That's what I wanted to do."
Peppers devoted his time during the offseason to get prepared for the upcoming football season. The redshirt junior worked out with the quicker running backs and defensive backs and gained 15 pounds of muscle during the summer.
"I wanted to get focused at the beginning of the summer," Peppers said. "I lifted every day for two or three hours. I came out and played with the [defensive backs]. I was trying to get bigger, faster, stronger to be a better player."
The bigger and stronger Peppers has continued to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. In North Carolina's 41-9 victory over Florida State on Sept. 22, Peppers had 10 tackles - including four for a loss - one sack and one interception.
"I think Julius sets the tone for the defense," North Carolina coach John Bunting said. "Julius is one of those playmakers. He's a big-play guy."
Peppers already has 6.5 sacks this season to give him a career total of 27.5, only five shy of the school record held by Greg Ellis. Peppers currently holds the school record for most tackles for a loss in a season with 24, a feat he accomplished last year.
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North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato, a former coach at Florida State, has seen the likes of Andre Wadsworth, Corey Simon, Peter Boulware, Reinard Wilson, Jamal Reynolds and Derrick Alexander - all successful Seminoles in the NFL. Amato, whose Wolfpack lost to the Tar Heels, 17-9, on Sept. 29, has never seen a player like Peppers.
"I can't imagine there is a player in America that can dominate a game like Julius Peppers," Amato said. "I've always said that basketball players might be the best athletes on campus. Where do you find someone who is 6-6, weighs 280, runs a 4.6 and can pick up a weight room? The last time I saw someone like that, he had a red 'S' on his chest and dressed in a phone booth."
Peppers has stated openly that he plans to turn pro after this season and forego his senior year if all goes according to plan. The All-American defensive lineman already has drawn numerous comparisons to former Tar Heel Lawrence Taylor and is expected to be a top-five NFL draft pick.
"I think he has a huge upside," Bunting said. "I think his best football is still way out there in front of him. I think he's going to keep getting better and better and better."
If such a scary proposition is true, then there isn't much hope for opposing offensive lineman, whether they're playing on Saturday or Sunday.
"The way I'm thinking," Peppers said. "I don't think anybody could stop me. If I was an offensive lineman, I don't know what I would do. Ask for help"
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