National Football League

Peppers almost forgets Lambeau Leap after making NFL history

Published Oct. 3, 2014 10:27 a.m. ET

foxsports

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- When Julius Peppers got in the end zone Thursday night, he almost forgot to celebrate like a Green Bay Packer.

Peppers intercepted a deflected Christian Ponder pass in the second quarter and returned it 49 yards for his first touchdown as a member of the Packers. Peppers was soon greeted by teammate Morgan Burnett, who was pointing to the stands. After a brief pause, Peppers made the Lambeau Leap.

"I figured it was something new to him, so I had to direct him for the Lambeau Leap," Burnett said. "It was fun. It was exciting to watch."

Without Burnett's presence, Peppers might've accidentally skipped the 21-year-old tradition.

"Well, that was my first time," Peppers said with a grin. "Next time, I'll be sure to get up there ASAP."

Peppers, a former basketball player at the University of North Carolina, didn't actually make it all the way up the wall. Without much of a running start, Peppers got close to the top but had to settle with a spot not directly alongside the fans.

"It was actually pretty tough to get up there," Peppers said. "I was pretty tired after that run, so I barely got up there. It was tough."

Morgan Burnett (42) tells Julius Peppers to do a Lambeau Leap after Peppers scored a touchdown.

That play also made NFL history. With it, Peppers became the first player ever with 100-plus sacks and 10 interceptions. However, Peppers doesn't have the type of personality that gets excited much, even after an achievement like that.

"It's a neat stat," Peppers said. "So that's pretty much it. It's neat."

At 34 years old, Peppers still looked a lot like he did when he made his first career interception as a rookie in 2002. After picking off Ponder, he outran every single Minnesota Vikings player who tried to chase him down, including speedy running back Jerick McKinnon.

"He's a special athlete," Clay Matthews said. "He continues to do it and continues to amaze everyone, including myself."

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