Carolina Panthers legend on Julius Peppers: ‘There is no one out there like him’

It's football season, Charlotte! Join The Charlotte Observer's Panthers staff and Carolina legend Mike Rucker for an exclusive season preview event on August 5 at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Ballantyne Buy tickets here.

Former Carolina Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker will watch his longtime teammate and good friend, Julius Peppers, get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend in Canton, Ohio.

Rucker and Pepper played together in Carolina from 2002 to 2007, as they bookmarked each other during one of the best defensive runs in franchise history. On the latest episode of the Processing Blue podcast, Charlotte Observer staffer Alex Zietlow sat down to speak with Rucker about Peppers’ career, current state of the Panthers and much more.

Below is snippet of Zietlow’s interview with Rucker:

Does Mike Rucker have any idea of what his partner-in-crime on the defensive line will say?

“No, but I can tell you that this will be not only record-setting, but this will probably be the most that you’ve ever heard Julius Peppers talk ever. And I think that that is widely known, and I think people are really excited to hear him. I’m gonna be honest with you: He’s a really, really smart guy. He loves history. Not only American or world history, but he knows his basketball history. He knows his football history. And he likes to read books. And I think when you’re reading a lot, that expands your mind, and that exposes you to a lot of things that maybe you didn’t know when you were growing up. So I’m really excited to hear his speech. You’ll hang onto every word because you’ll know that for someone who doesn’t speak a lot, when they do speak, people listen. And that’s what I’m excited for.”

Quiet guy, but also ... was in the back of a Nelly music video?

“Yeah! Well that was a big thing because you gotta think: Charlotte was a smaller town that was growing (back in 2002). And the team isn’t that old, it’s less than 10 years old when Pep gets here. So to see someone being in a music video that’s around here in Charlotte, that was a big deal. I just remember us messing with him, because that’s what you do in a locker room, you mess with guys. And that was a big deal for us.”

Rucker on Jadeveon Clowney — the Peppers comparisons, the return to the Carolinas and more.

“I know for a fact that Pepp, there is no one out there like him. He changed that position and the way that you look at it. It wasn’t like the big 300-pound defensive end. It wasn’t the little 260-pound DE. It was the combination that Pep brought to the table that borned this new guy that you look for as a defensive end. And I think Clowney was one of the first guys to come out and who had that size, that athleticism and that ability. And he too was just right down the road playing college ball. ... I think it would be a really great conversation to talk to Clowney: What did you see as you were growing up? Was this a guy you modeled your game after?”

For more of Rucker’s chat with Zietlow — where the two go deeper on Peppers’ induction into the Hall of Fame, Clowney, Bryce Young and what it’ll take for the Panthers to make the playoffs this year — download Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast.

Also, if you enjoyed hearing from Rucker, the Panthers legend will join Zietlow, sports columnist Scott Fowler and Panthers beat writer Mike Kaye at OMB Ballantyne at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5. Purchase tickets for the event below:

It's football season, Charlotte! Join The Charlotte Observer's Panthers staff and Carolina legend Mike Rucker for an exclusive season preview event on August 5 at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Ballantyne Buy tickets here.

To go along with the Rucker interview, Zietlow and Kaye discuss training camp’s top performers, biggest disappointments and the top three Carolina players in franchise history.