Read Carolina Panthers legend Julius Peppers’ full Hall of Fame speech here

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Julius Peppers, the forever North Carolinian and former Carolina Panthers defensive end whose athleticism knew no bounds, is officially a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

The smiling, 6-foot-7, 295-pound giant earned his gold jacket Friday night at the famed Gold Jacket Dinner. And on Saturday afternoon, in the hot Canton, Ohio, sun, he was presented with his bronze bust that will sit in the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum. He then offered a 16-minute induction speech in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium that punctuated his special weekend.

He was introduced by his longtime mentor, friend and agent Carl Carey, and spoke in front of several Panthers dignitaries, including former general manager Marty Hurney, former coach John Fox, and current Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper. He also gave a shoutout to Michael Jordan — who was in Canton to support Peppers and who Peppers deemed “the G.O.A.T.”

Here’s a full transcript of his speech — filled with memories of his days as a UNC Tar Heel, as a young Carolina Panther and more.

Julius Peppers thanks his family

“Alright, let’s do this. Thank you, Carl. Thank you for that introduction. I want to start by thanking God for aligning the stars and allowing this to happen. I want to thank everyone, all of you, for being here to celebrate with me, the other enshrinees and our families. I want to thank Joe Porter and the whole Hall of Fame staff for making this a smooth and enjoyable process. And I want to thank the other 370 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all of these guys for making us feel welcome and paving a way.

“I also want to congratulate my classmates. It’s an honor to be a part of this class, the Class of 2024. All of these guys were phenomenal players. But more importantly, they are phenomenal people. And it’s been a pleasure getting to know you guys a little bit better for these past couple of months.

“I want to thank my family for coming up from North Carolina and a lot of other places, and being here for this special night. They’re over there. You know the whole proverb, ‘that it takes a village to raise a child.’ That’s especially true with us. My mother was one of nine kids, and my father was one of 11. So we have a large village. And a lot of them are here tonight, so thank y’all for being here again.”

Introducing those who raised Julius Peppers

“Speaking of my mom, her name is Bessie Brinkley. Since the day I was born, she has been in my corner, not just with sports, but in life. My siblings and I, we didn’t really grow up in a lot, but whatever we needed, she made sure we got it. And even though we didn’t say the words a lot, I knew that you loved me. Sometimes all you need is a mother’s love and support. And I’m very fortunate to have a mom who gave me that and so much more. She instilled a great work ethic and discipline in me, and also a willingness to sacrifice to help others. Today, I officially become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but she’s always been one of the greatest of all time of being a mom. So Mom, thank you for everything, and I love you.

“My dad is here too. His name is George Kurney. And even though, when I was a kid, our relationship was a little bit inconsistent, we got closer as we got older. So I’m happy that you’re here tonight too, and I love you too, man.

“Now, I was the baby of my family. I want to thank my sister, Yolanda, and my big brother, Stephon. You both were positive influences for me, and you set great examples for me. Even though you didn’t say it a lot, I always knew you were proud of me. You know, it’s not necessarily what you say to somebody. It’s how you make them feel. And I always felt loved and supported, so I want to say thank you to you guys, and I love y’all.”

The ‘root people’ in Peppers’ life

“The man who did the video that you just saw, his name is Dr. Carl Carey. He’s been my copilot on this journey since I met him in 1998. I was an incoming freshman at UNC, and he was my academic adviser, a mentor and a big brother. We met as friends. We became family. Carl has been a guy with us for the past 26 years, and I want to share a little tree analogy that I heard Tyler Perry use before that I think best describes our friendship.

“And it goes like this: Some people come into your lives for a season. And their purpose is temporary. When the wind blows, they fall away. Those are leaf people. Some people come into our lives for support, and they’re a little stronger than the leaves. But if you put too much pressure on them, eventually they break. Then sometimes, you meet people who are solid, that you can depend on, and they hold you up through the storms. Those are the root people. Carl has been a root person in my life — and Carl, we both know that I wouldn’t have accomplished what I’ve accomplished without you being there. So thank you for everything, my brother. It’s been a hell of a ride. And we still got a lot more to go.

“Another root person in my life has been one of my high school coaches, Brian Foster. He’s here somewhere, too. Foster would give me rides home from practice on the days when my mom couldn’t make it. And sometimes he would give me insight of what it would take to play sports on a collegiate level. One day after a bad practice, he told me that I would have two choices in life: I could either be complacent and waste my talents, or I could work harder and one day make it to the Hall of Fame. There will be no in-between, he said. And it turns out he was right. Because I’m here. So everything we talked about came true, so I want to thank you for your guidance, your friendship and your foresight. You guys are our family, too, so thank y’all.

“Now that I’m retired, people always ask me, ‘What do I miss most about the game?’ Well the the thing that I miss most is the camaraderie, the friendships, the relationships that you build in a locker room. Because I don’t have that at work, my fiancee and our three kids have to become the new locker room. My fiancee, Claudia, she’s a great mother, a great partner and a star in her own right. She’s loving, caring and very thoughtful when it comes to all of us. She’s the manager of our house, and she leads with love and positivity. She’s not just my partner, but also my best friend and confidante. So Claudia, you mean the world to us, and I’m looking forward to many years and many memories ahead. Thank you, and I love you.

“Our oldest daughter, Kiana, just turned 16. Kiana, you’re smart and beautiful, and it’s hard to face that you may be leaving the house soon. You have such a big heart and a beautiful soul, and I love how kind and thoughtful you are to others. Watching you grow up has been one of my greatest awards. It’s an honor to be your dad, and I love you, Ki. Don’t ever forget that.

“Our oldest son is Elijah. He’s 10. My baby boy Amari, he’s 8. Amari and Elijah, those are my little athletes. I love how you guys have each other’s backs, and you look out for each other. And while brothers have disagreements from time to time, you guys never take it personal, and within five minutes, everything’s fine, and you guys are playing again. I hope you keep that quality throughout life. It’s special. And whatever you do, whether it involves a ball or not, just know I’m going to be proud of you, and I’m gonna always have your back. Y’all already know I love you guys.”

‘Back to the football’

“Now, to the football. And let me just say this: So many people have helped me get to this stage. My family in my football life. And while I can’t mention all of you, just please know that I’m grateful. First I want to thank Coach Mack Brown and Coach Donnie Thompson for coming to Bailey, North Carolina, and making me realize that Chapel Hill is where I needed to be. And my thanks go to my head coach, Carl Torbush, who we lost last year and my basketball coach Willy Guthridge, they were great coaches and great men.

“And this ain’t in my speech, but I’m gonna say it anyway: While I’m talking about Chapel Hill and North Carolina, and I know this is the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I’m not going to sit up here and act like my idol, and one of the reasons I went to Chapel Hill, is not in the building. The G.O.A.T, His Airness, Michael Jordan, MJ — I want to thank you for the inspiration and the memories. I love you, big bro.

“Alright, now back to the football.

“I want to thank my NFL coaches. John Fox. Lovie Smith. Mike McCarthy. And Ron Rivera. Thanks to each one of you, and all of the men on your staffs, you guys taught valuable lessons that went beyond the game. And that’s what I appreciated the most. So thank you for your time, your energy, and your sacrifices.

“Thank you to all of my teammates. And look, I played 17 years, so it’s a lot of you guys out there, alright? And I appreciate every single one of you, just know that. You guys are the reason why I worked so hard, and a big part of the reason why I’m standing up here today. You motivated me. You inspired me. And we held each other accountable.

“Rod Marinelli, my defensive coordinator when I was in Chicago. Rod would always say in the meetings, ‘The star of the team is the team.’ And that’s how I tried to play the game. All I ever wanted to do was do my job, help the team win and earn you guys respect. So to every teammate that I had, and all the teams I ever played on, I want to thank you for the amazing ride, and it was a pleasure sharing the field with you guys. So thank y’all.

“All of the sacks, interceptions and touchdowns you see on Sunday, there’s another team who’s just as important to our success that sometimes goes unnoticed. But I’m gonna shout y’all out real quick. I want to thank all of my strength and conditioning coaches, the one that worked with the team, and the ones who I worked with in the offseason. All of the training staffs, the scouts, the GMs. Thank you Marty Hurney. All of the football people, the people in football ops upstairs, the equipment managers, and the media department, community relations and all that other support staffs: thanks to all of you.”

Shouting out Dave and Nicole Tepper: ‘Keep pounding’

“And thank you to the fans. To the city and the fans of Chicago: I know you guys didn’t draft me, but when I came there, you treated me like I was one of your own, and I appreciate that. So it’s always Bear Down!

“Thank you to the people of Wisconsin and Green Bay fans all over. Go Pack Go! That was three of the best years of my life.

“And Panther nation. You can travel the world, but there’s no place like home. So thank you for having my back since the day I was drafted and for always showing me love. To all of the fans, thank you for your passion, your loyalty, your enthusiasm, and your unwavering support. You guys are the reason why we do what we do, and this game is nothing without you both. So thank you to all of the fans.

“I want to thank Dave and Nicole Tepper for your support and your friendship. You know, nobody has it all figured out from the start. But I believe in you guys, and just know, our time is coming. So in the words of the great Sam Mills, just keep pounding.

“And last but not least, I want to thank the Carolina Panthers founder, the late Jerry Richardson. If not for him, and his vision, the Panthers don’t exist. You brought an NFL team to my home state, and you gave me a platform to chase my dreams. So for that, I want to say thank you to the Big Cat.”

What being a Hall of Famer means to Carolina Panthers great

“Now I’m gonna close with what being a Hall of Famer means to me. It’s not about how many touchdowns you score or how many Super Bowl rings you have, even though those things are nice. It really comes down to who you are at your core, and what’s in your heart. Are you resilient? Do you stand tall in the face of adversity when things get tough? Or do you quit? Do you acknowledge other people’s contributions to your success, or do you make it all about you?

“Being a Hall of Famer is one of my crowning achievements. But it extends far beyond pro football. It extends to my family, and it extends to my daily life. Everyone can’t play in the NFL, and everyone can’t have a bust in Canton. But everyone can be a Hall of Famer in your own life. You can be a Hall of Fame dad. A Hall of Fame student. Teacher. Spouse. Coworker. Friend. Whatever it is. Whatever it is that you do, do it with respect, integrity, passion, resilience, dedication and gratitude. That alone will make you a Hall of Fame person, and you, too, can have a legacy that lives on forever.

“Thank you, and God bless.”