Julius Peppers

Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers needs just 6.5 sacks during the 2017 season to reach 150 for his career. Should he doing so, he would become just the fifth player in NFL history to reach the historic benchmark, per NFL Communications.

The four players to currently claim at least 150 sacks are Chris Doleman (150.5), Kevin Greene (160.0), Reggie White (198.0) and Bruce Smith (200.0). Each of the four players to reach the total also was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Peppers has played for only three teams throughout his 15-year career—the Panthers, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. He'll return to Carolina this season, where he spent his first eight years after the club selected him second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. The nine-time Pro Bowl selection suited up for the Green Bay Packers over the past three years, recording 25.0 sacks.

Arguably Peppers' best stretch with the Panthers occurred from 2004-2006, where he totaled 138 tackles, 34.5 sacks and two interceptions including one for a touchdown. He also forced nine and recovered four fumbles over the three-year span.

His age has been catching up with him in recent seasons, however. The now 37-year-old has recorded more than 7.5 sacks only once over the past four years and made a career-low 15 tackles in 2016, largely being relegated to a pass-rush specialist at this point in his career.

Considering his recent body of work, collecting the 6.5 sacks he needs to hit 150 this season may come down to the wire. Regardless of the outcome, Peppers will go down as one of the best defensive ends in NFL history and will almost certainly be enshrined in Canton when his playing career is over.

On Nov. 5, 2011, Nazair Jones woke up and could not move.

His brain told his body to get out of bed, to go the bathroom, yet this morning after a high school playoff loss his junior year, Jones was frozen in place.

He panicked. He shouted to Mom.

Mom thought her son was trying to ditch school.

So Jones, terrified, shouted again.

"It's hard to explain," he said. "I was still in shock because it's so weird when your brain tells your body to do something and it doesn't listen. That's when you need to get worried. It was a shock. Literally, in my head, I'm saying 'Walk. Walk! Why aren't you walking?' It was scary.

"When you lose an ability that you had your whole life, it scares you."

When son looked into Mom's eyes and said, "For real, I can't walk!" she instantly felt equally helpless and called 911. A rescue squad arrived at their Roanoke Rapids, N.C. home, loaded Jones into an ambulance, drove him to the emergency room and…and…and…nothing.

Oh, Jones' local hospital gave him injection that killed the pain that day. But the pain returned, persisted and on to hospitals in Rocky Mount, then Chapel Hill, doctors were all dumbfounded. They had no clue what ailed this otherwise perfectly healthy 15-year-old. Mom? She grew "beyond sick." She felt crushing, instant "drastic heartache." Son? He turned 16 the day he was admitted into the Chapel Hill hospital and, feeling paralyzed from the waist down, had no clue when he'd walk again.

Days? Weeks? Months? Years?

Ever?

"They didn't know what was wrong with me," Naz Jones said. "That was the worst part. … They didn't know."

Eventually, doctors discovered Jones suffered from the extremely rare Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). There are torn ACLs, shoulder surgeries and broken limbs. And then there's a kid who loses complete control of those limbs, drops 40 pounds and must learn how to walk all over again.

Somehow, Naz Jones did exactly that, starred at defensive tackle for North Carolina and is now on the verge of the NFL. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projects him going to the New England Patriots in the fourth round.

Wherever he goes, it will be the culmination of a transformation like no other.

Said Jones, "I try to cherish every moment I have."

---

When you turn 16 years old, you're supposed to be rushing to get a driver's license. Getting in trouble for staying out too late. Taking a date to the movies.

You're supposed to be running, no, sprinting from one activity to the next.

You are not supposed to have to inch through life with a cane, then a walker, then confined to a wheelchair. But here was Naz Jones through that November and December. Part of him initially wrote the pain off as just another injury because he always played football and basketball at one violent pace—Naz was the first to foul out in any organized hoops game.

There would be no home-schooling. Jones insisted he was OK, went back to school, and his test scores never slipped.

Yet as days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, his concern grew. Shots helped relieve the pain, but it always returned. Through bloodwork, nerve tests and ultrasounds on his legs, the UNC doctors couldn't crack the code. For most of these two months, Jones could not walk. And when he looked down at his legs, he was so often mortified.

He'd fall asleep with one leg swollen and wake up to see his other leg swollen.

His ankles, especially, ballooned.

"The swelling was so bad that you could see my legs sweating," Jones said. "I was just laying there. But my legs would sweat. It was so ridiculous."

All along, Tammy Jones rubbed his feet, prayed and promised her son he'd be OK. Such assurance gave Naz peace. He never went insane when it would've been perfectly understandable to do so—and that was solely because of his mom. Because she stayed strong. Still, even Tammy Jones admits that she'd break down in tears out of her son's view.

"I had my own private moments," she said.

Mom could only sleep if Naz slept. At the hospital, she'd sleep at his bedside. Seeing her son hooked up to an IV 24 hours a day was brutal, but Dad was always out of the picture so, as Tammy said, "I had to suck it up."

For her, the worst moment was when her son asked a doctor if he'd ever play football again.

"And they said, 'We have to see if we can even get him walking again,'" Mom recalled. "That was a hard pill to swallow. That was very drastic for me."

---

Finally, into late December, there was clarity. The Chapel Hill doctors reached out to other professionals—even phoning experts overseas—before finally coming to the diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, chronic arm or leg pain that results from an injury. According to one study, CRPS occurs in only 1.2 of every 100,000 children. It's most common in women, and the average age of diagnosis is 49.

There is no cure for CRPS. It's only managed.

To this day, Jones doesn't know which injury could've caused his CRPS, but his central nervous system was clearly affected.

All red flags applied. He'd need to learn how to walk all over again.

So for six weeks, Jones stayed at a Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill. And this was precisely when very real "Am I going to die?" and "Am I going to walk again?" thoughts ravaged his psyche nightly. This disease, Jones was told, attacks all limbs. So as the swelling flipped leg to leg, he now worried if his arms could go numb.

He'd fall asleep terrified of what he'd discover the next morning.

"I didn't know if it'd attack my arms next," Jones said, "and this was just the beginning of a super long, scary process. So I was just as confused as everybody else about the whole thing but at the same time trying to stay positive."

The motivation could be found 1.4 miles away: UNC's Kenan Stadium. It was Jones' lifelong dream to be a Tar Heel. Julius Peppers was his idol. The plan was always to wear No. 90, to follow a legend and create his own legacy.

Even if many nights it seemed like he had a better chance of winning the lottery.

"It wasn't something that I thought was super reachable at the moment," said Jones, pausing. "But it was a huge goal of mine."

His daily physical therapy was grueling. Jones churned his legs in a pool to simulate walking, to feel that sensation again. He had his brainwaves studied. He had an epidural procedure done. He did exercises in front of a mirror to reconnect his brain with his legs. And the toughest challenge, by far, was trying to walk the lap on his floor at the nearby children's hospital.

Some days, it'd take him 30 minutes. Other days, an hour.

"It sounds easy to take a lap, but it was, by far, the worst pain," Jones said. "You're trying to get your body to do something—you want it to do it—but it's just not doing it. You're forcing yourself to move, and it just hurts. I can't even explain the hurt. It just hurts. I hated those 30 minutes, but I also loved it looking back at it because those were the beginning steps of me walking again. But during the time I was in the hospital, it sucked. It sucked, man.

"I was forcing my body to do it and my body didn't really want to. So just picking up my legs and putting pressure on my feet again, with all of that swelling, that was the most painful part. When you have to put pressure on those areas where there's so much swelling. That was super painful."

Added Mom, "His motivation was 'I'm going to walk.' So his mind was set: 'I'm not going to let this beat me. I'm going to beat it.'"

Gradually, his condition improved. Jones moved from the wheelchair, to the walker, to the cane, to finally walking on his own by May. That summer, he rejoined his AAU basketball team and started putting on those lost 40 pounds through a heavy diet of milk, milk and more milk. By July, Jones was ready. Cleared to play football again, he headed to North Carolina's football camp to prove to coaches he was still that stud recruit who piqued their interest and was named a 3-star by Scout while he was at Roanoke Rapids.

No, it wasn't all pretty—at one point trainers treated Jones for dehydration—but he gutted it out.

Coaches saw heart and offered him a scholarship on the spot.

Naz Jones hasn't looked back since.

---

The nightmare could theoretically return. Jones could wake up one day unable to walk.

But he's not concerned. The thought doesn't even cross his mind.

Jones sees only positives.

"When you're a 15-year-old kid," he said, "and you get football snatched away from you and you don't know how and then you're diagnosed with this disease and you have to deal with that, it changes you as a person. It definitely changed me. It made me more mature than people my age and more thoughtful. Football can be taken away from you just like that.

"I'm not really sure if it could 'come back' or if it's really 'gone' for that matter. I just know I've been able to be myself with no pain."

The anti-inflammatory arthritis shot, Enbrel, keeps the swelling down. Aside from one instance of tightness in his lower back and tingling in his legs two years ago, Jones hasn't suffered any setbacks.

The last three seasons, the 6'5", 304-pound Jones anchored the Tar Heels' defensive line. In 2016, he totaled 70 tackles (9.5 for loss) with 2.5 sacks.

One Tar Heels teammate, end Dajaun Drennon, has played basketball with Jones and insists he can throw down monster jams with one drop step on the block while defenders hang all over him. He's seen Jones drain threes, throw down "rock-and-cradle" dunks and, on the football field, maul offensive linemen with a unique blend of size and relentlessness.

"Once Naz gets it into his head that he'll go get it," Drennon said, "the sky's the limit for him. He's unblockable."

And it's no coincidence that one of Jones' best collegiate games, the 2015 ACC Championship Game, came moments after he met Peppers on the sideline. The future Hall of Famer told Jones to "ball out," and he did, with six tackles and an interception.

A Peppers poster hung on Jones' college bedroom wall.

Drennon sees similarities in the two.

"Listen...Naz can be that great, he can go get it," Drennon said. "He has all the makings. He has the size, he has the speed. His twitch could be a little bit quicker to be Julius Peppers. We are talking about Julius Peppers. But he's a big-time playmaker. He gets in the backfield. He gets TFLs. He gets sacks. He does it all."

Naturally, one by one, NFL teams have asked Jones about the disease during the pre-draft season, and he's re-told the same story over and over—relived the nightmare, the mystery, the recovery and insisted it all made him stronger. Jones already has his own foundation, M.A.D.E. Men. Through this "Making A Difference Everyday" mentoring program, he'll be able to re-tell his story for decades.

Be it Pick No. 1 or Pick No. 253, draft weekend will be emotional for Jones and his mom.

Of course, so was his high school graduation. Thinking back to the sight of her son walking across the stage with no walker, no crutches and no worries, Tammy Jones gets choked up.

There was no stopping her son then, and there's no stopping her son now.

"Giving up is not an option, not in the Jones family," she said. "We don't give up."

Tyler Dunne covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @TyDunne.

The Carolina Panthers have added to their pass rush with the free-agent signing of Julius Peppers, a franchise icon who spent his first eight seasons with the team after being selected in the first round in 2002.

Peppers' agent Carl Carey announced the reunion on March 10:

https://twitter.com/CarlCareyPhD/status/840256614418567168

The Panthers announced the signing March 11.

Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reported Peppers signed a one-year deal worth $3.5 million with an additional $750,000 in incentives if he can reach sack thresholds.

The Panthers had a nightmarish 2016 season and finished 6-10, though the team still has a host of elite young talent. Peppers' veteran presence will help the team get back on track, and linebacker Luke Kuechly's defense is sure to bounce back after an uncharacteristic showing.

Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis posted on Instagram following the move:

Peppers has been one of the most consistent pass-rushers in the NFL since being taken with the second overall draft pick in 2002.

In 15 years with the Panthers, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, he has totaled 143.5 regular-season sacks, earning him nine Pro Bowl appearances and selection to three All-Pro first teams. This includes at least seven sacks in all but one season.

He has also shown a knack for staying healthy, missing only two games since his rookie season and playing in all 16 games in each of the last nine years.

At 37 years old, Peppers has not slowed down much, converting from defensive end to linebacker and still finding ways to get to the quarterback.

"Peppers is a freak, man," former Packers defensive back Micah Hyde said in January, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. "He's like 45 years old, and he's still doing what he has to do. We see it every day in practice. He's a freak. That's plain and simple."

While the age is an exaggeration, the level of play is not, and Peppers should still be able to make an impact in his new location.

Between the boost to the pass rush and the improved veteran leadership, the Panthers could be a stronger team next season.

The Carolina Panthers have reportedly made a contract offer to pass-rusher Julius Peppers in free agency.

According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, sources said Friday that the Panthers are working to finalize a deal that would result in Peppers' return to the organization.

Peppers' agent Carl Carey seemed to indicate Peppers and the Panthers agreed to a deal:

https://twitter.com/CarlCareyPhD/status/840256614418567168

The 37-year-old veteran spent the first eight years of his career with the Panthers before stints with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

Peppers registered 7.5 sacks for the Packers last season and is fifth on the all-time sack list with 143.5. 

After re-signing with the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday, defensive end Charles Johnson revealed his plan to recruit Julius Peppers back to the organization.

According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, Johnson said the following when asked if he has spoken to Peppers yet: "I haven't yet, but I'm going to start recruiting him."

The Panthers announced Tuesday that Johnson signed a two-year extension.

Peppers spent the first eight years of his career with the Panthers after getting selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft.

He then went on to play for the Chicago Bears for four seasons and spent each of the past three campaigns as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

Per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky and Vaughn McClure, Peppers' agent, Carl Carey, said Monday that the 37-year-old veteran intends to play in 2017.

Since 2017 could be Peppers' final season, Johnson believes it's only fitting for him to spend it with the team that drafted him, according to Person: "From a personal opinion and as a friend of his, I just want to see him retire as a Panther. I just think him coming back for a year and retiring as a Panther, what better career for him to have, retiring in his home?"

Peppers is fifth on the all-time sacks list and first among active players with 143.5.

The nine-time Pro Bowler registered 81 of those sacks with the Panthers and is coming off a 2016 season during which he took down opposing quarterbacks 7.5 times. He also isn't far removed from a 10.5-sack season in 2015.

The Panthers ranked second in the NFL last season with 47 sacks, but with defensive coordinator Sean McDermott departing to become head coach of the Buffalo Bills, there may be a transition period for the defense in 2017.

If Carolina does add Peppers to a defensive line that already includes Johnson, Mario Addison, Kawann Short, Star Lotulelei and Kony Ealy, however, it figures to contend for the league lead in sacks once again.

Julius Peppers has terrorized NFL quarterbacks for 15 seasons and decided Monday to return for another.

Agent Carl Carey told Rob Demovsky and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com of Peppers' decision. He is currently a free agent, having spent the last three seasons in Green Bay.

The 37-year-old entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft and has played for the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He posted 7.5 sacks last season and has 143.5 for his career.

Peppers' announcement comes after Ryan Wood of USA Today reported in December the outside linebacker was considering retirement after his three-year, $26 million deal with Green Bay ended.

"I'm not saying that I don't want to play next year," Peppers said. "I'm not saying that I do. I'm just saying that right now, I don't know. And I'll figure it out at some point."

The Packers lessened Peppers' load during the season, although he was forced into a larger role at times due to injuries. He moved into fifth place, ahead of Michael Strahan, on the all-time sacks list in 2016 with a takedown of Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler.

It was another notch on Peppers' incredible resume that includes nearly everything but a Super Bowl ring. He is a nine-time Pro Bowler, Defensive Rookie of the Year and three-time first-team All-Pro.

His durability has always stood out:

Season	Team	Games	Combined Tackles	Sacks
2002	Carolina Panthers	12	35	12.0
2003	Carolina Panthers	16	44	7.0
2004	Carolina Panthers	16	64	11.0
2005	Carolina Panthers	16	50	10.5
2006	Carolina Panthers	16	58	13.0
2007	Carolina Panthers	14	38	2.5
2008	Carolina Panthers	16	51	14.5
2009	Carolina Panthers	16	42	10.5
2010	Chicago Bears	16	54	8.0
2011	Chicago Bears	16	37	11.0
2012	Chicago Bears	16	39	11.5
2013	Chicago Bears	16	45	7.0
2014	Green Bay Packers	16	44	7.0
2015	Green Bay Packers	16	37	10.5
2016	Green Bay Packers	16	23	7.5

Conor Orr of NFL.com reported that Peppers "would almost certainly have his pick of contending teams to play for next season if he so chooses."

The Hall of Fame will have to wait.