Mike Rucker and Julius Peppers teamed together for six years with the Carolina Panthers from 2002-07, crashing in toward quarterbacks from their defensive end positions. So Rucker – now a businessman who is also the Panthers’ longtime TV analyst in the preseason – is more well-versed on Peppers than almost anyone you would meet as the 37-year-old Peppers prepares for his return to the Panthers. In our recent interview, Rucker answered a series of questions about his former teammate.
Q. What were your first impressions of Peppers when he arrived at Carolina as the overall No. 2 pick in 2002?