Julius. Congratulations. Uh Well Deserved, wanted to ask you, uh, what were you thinking when you were taken number two, by your home state team that’s coming off a one in 15 season. What was I thinking back then? Uh, um, you know, at that time there were a lot of questions about what kind of player I was and, you know, um, you know, I, I could say it was a lot of, a lot of doubt and skepticism. Um, there were questions about, uh, if I was worthy of being taken that high. So my, uh, motivation and my main thought at that time was just to come in and prove that I belong, prove that, um, that, that I was one of the be better players to come out of that draft. So I had a lot of motivation to come in and perform right away because of all of those questions about, you know, my work ethic and stuff like that. Well, any concerns though, like coming to a team that had, has really struggled, kind of like this year. And I wonder if you saw anything in that first season that made you think hey, the next year I can be in the Super Bowl and you see any similarities with this year’s team? No, I didn’t see, I, uh I didn’t see it. I, I wasn’t concerned, first of all, I wasn’t concerned about coming to the team. That was one of 15. Um I saw it as a challenge as an opportunity to come to come in and be a part of building, building something. Nobody wants to go to Super Bowl champion already. I mean, I guess some people do but, um, you know, you wanna come in and, and, and work for it. So, um, but I couldn’t, nobody could foresee the turnaround that we had going from, you know, 1 to 15 to win a few more games that next year. And then I think it was, was it the third year? It was the second year or third year? Your second year? Yeah, second year. Well, yeah, nobody could see that, you know, uh it was different. We had a special group of guys that, that put in the work. So, um, yeah, but I can’t say I saw that coming and one last question, uh A lot of people said they should have taken Joey Harrington over you. Um Did you hear that? What were your thoughts? You told me? You had to prove it thing. And some people said you were the second best defensive lineman on your North Carolina team. So, I mean, how did all that fit into your, your prove it mentality. So, yeah, I, um, I heard all of those things. I heard all of those things and, um, again, that was, that was a little bit of fire that added a little bit of fire to me. Um, because I felt like I should have went number one. So, um, but, you know, it worked out that I was able to come here and, and I’m glad that, uh, you know, Houston did what they did. But, um, that was, that, that was motivation for me. Definitely. I heard all of those questions. Appreciate it. Thank you. And congratulations again. Thank you, Julius. Uh, Michael Co from WCHL in uh Chapel Hill. Uh, congratulations. First of all, when you think about your time in college playing for the tar heels, what sort of memories or lessons from that time of your life, uh, stand out and you still think about today? Oh, you know, that was a great moment in my life. Um, as a young kid being, being a chap will, you know, I, I think back on it now and it’s like, I really didn’t know what I was doing. I, I think about going from, from football season, um, you know, and finishing the season up and then going straight into the basketball season, the basketball cracks and stuff like that. People always ask me like, how, how are you able to do that? Um, you know, I just didn’t, at the time. It, it was just, I was just having fun. I was just playing the sports that I love. It wasn’t, it wasn’t a job, it wasn’t, it wasn’t work, it wasn’t hard or anything. I was just, I was just playing so it was a great time of my life just to be carefree and, um, um, have fun playing sports. You know, I think about, I think about all of my teammates a lot, you know, uh from football and from basketball and, and, and the coaches, uh because those are the things that carry that, that, that, that you remember the most. Um I don’t necessarily remember um, games. Um I, I remember a few plays and stuff like that, but most of the time it’s the people that you remember, even in the league, even throughout my career in the league, it’s the people in the relationship that you built over the years that, that stick out to me. You still talk to a lot of those guys, a lot of your old teammates, basketball and football when, when, when, when I have the opportunity to, um I don’t talk to him, you know, as much because everybody is busy, right? Everybody has their own life going on and stuff like that. But uh that you mentioned that I saw, I, you probably don’t know these names but uh I saw Mike Pringle this weekend out in Vegas. He was there. Um you know, we, we had, we, we caught up a little bit talking about Ebenezer Eon and, and um some of the other guys that, that, that we played with. So, yeah, I, I actually just ran into a couple of them at Super Bowl. Thanks. Joy. Congratulations again. All right, let’s go to Mike K, followed by Josh Graham. Hey Julius. Congratulations. Mike K from the Charlotte Observer here. Uh You brought up basketball. Um, you know, during your kind of generation, it was like you and Donovan mcnabb were the two guys that played the two way basketball, football sort of game. And I was curious, why do you think that that kind of mindset hasn’t kind of lived out throughout the years? Like, why don’t, why do you think we, we don’t see more dual sport athletes specifically in basketball and football? And how did playing basketball help you kind of elevate your athleticism or hone it, uh, for football, it’s tough. It’s tough, man. And, um, the reason I think you don’t see it as much is because everybody is selfish with the time, right? Even, even when I was playing, um, uh my coach, coach bunting the football coach at the time, he was a little bit, um, you know, he wanted me to come back to spring practice, spring football and stuff like that. So nowadays it’s like, um, like it’s year round sports is year round, especially football. So nobody wants to give up that time. You know, football coaches don’t want to give up their time. They want you there for spring basketball players. Um, you know, that’s a year round thing too. So I, I think you don’t see it as much for, for that, for that reason. Um, you know, no, it’s that simple. Nobody, everybody is selfish at the time. Nobody wants to give it up. Uh, but, you know, as far as playing the game, I feel like, I feel like basketball, uh the footwork and agility type of things that you need to use on the court. I feel like translated to the football field and my style of play. So I think that was an advantage that I had at the time. Uh you know, um being shifty on the field that, that came from basketball and, and body control, stuff like that. So, um that’s how I think it’s translated. And then uh another question I had for you, it’s been a pretty good 2024 for guys from your, your age of the Panthers. Uh Dan Morgan getting that GM job. I was just curious, what was he like? I mean, I know he came in the year before you. What was he like as a leader on the field? What as my alarm goes off? Sorry. Uh What was he like as a leader on the field? And um why do you think he can handle a leadership building at the top of uh or do you think he can handle the leadership of uh position at the top of the front office? Yeah, I, I have great confidence in Dan as I did when I played, um he was, he was uh similar to Luke in some ways where, you know, you see this, you see this clean, nice, clean cut guy off the field. But then when they get on the field, they turn into a whole new person. This is, this is like a whole new person that you see. That’s really fierce, that’s really passionate about the game. So that’s how he, that’s how he approached it. And um he was a great leader. He was a great communicator and um I think he can handle it. I think he, he, he’s been in, he’s been in that, in that world for a while now. And um I thought it was a, I thought it was a great choice by, by uh Dave to, to bring Dan and Dan Dan. He knows the locker room, he knows the guys and um, he’s a panther. So I, I think he’s gonna take great pride in, in doing the job and doing it. Well, thanks Julie. Congrats again. Hey, Julie, as somebody who’s been known not to really seek out the spotlight much. How have you figured out a way to enjoy a 2024 and really end of 2023 that saw you go into the hall of honor. You’re set to go into Canton and also go into the college football Hall of Fame this year. It’s a lot, it’s a lot. Um, I, I, it’s, I’ve really been blessed to, to uh have these things come um right behind each other and, and, you know, it’s been a great, it’s been a great, uh couple of months. So, um you know, I understand that with those type of honors, certain obligations come with it. So, uh you know, um it’s not my favorite thing to do to film, you know, f you know, film all of those things for, for NFL films and stuff like that and do so much media uh this past weekend at the Super Bowl, but I understand that it comes with it and, and, and this is a once in a lifetime thing, it’s not gonna, it’s not gonna be something where I have to do it every year. So, you know, I, I’m fine with doing it now and I’m, and I’m happy to do it one more thing. Um 20 years ago, you played in the Super Bowl and you’re back on that field this past Sunday. You hear people talk about Marino and others who early in their career get there and never get a chance to go back when you were back on that field. Did you have a moment where you thought, man, I’d give up so much to be back out there and have an opportunity on the stage. No, I didn’t actually. Um it was great to be there. Yeah. II I was out there, I saw Christian and, um, you know, I was right behind that huddle and stuff like that. So, um I got to see the guys but I don’t miss being on the field at all. Mainly the preparation part of it. It like it takes so much just to get prepared starting now. If you wanna be really good, you should be starting to, you know, um, work out now and get your body in shape and stuff like that. So, uh, I, I don’t miss that. I don’t miss that at all. So, uh, it was great. I saw, I saw Smitty out there on the field, we took a picture together, so it was great to be around it. Um, you know, so I, I love being on the field and being around the guys and being around the atmosphere and the energy, but I don’t miss the preparation part of it at all. Well said, thanks Joyce, let’s go to Scott Fowler, followed by Shannon HN. Hi, Beth Congrats. Hope you’re doing well. Um, you, you really played with most, all of the greats played in a lot of the best seasons, uh, for the Panthers too. I wonder just as you look back on the Panther part of your career, those 10 seasons over two different times. What are one or two of your favorite moments. Wow. Uh I gotta say, I gotta say the Super Bowl, even though, you know, we came up a little short. That was, that was, that was probably like the favorite moment that, that week. And again, I talked about not necessarily being aware of what was happening at the time, just being a young player, 2nd, 2nd year playing in the league, getting into the Super Bowl thinking like, oh this is it not that it was easy, but like, oh, wow, I thought, you know, we got here. So, you know, we probably gonna be back every year or every other year or something like that. So not necessarily having that awareness at the time to realize how hard it was to get there. Um And just playing, we just played. So we had a lot of fun during that season. Um You know, a lot of great memories from that season, the, the, the, the Sam Mills thing, but with the key pound and uh the, the game with the, the, the, the, the game where we went to uh Saint Louis and, and the greatest show on turf, we got a chance to knock them off. Um That was a great, that was a great season, the NFC championship. Well, the NFC championship was on my birthday in Philly. Um So that was, that was a great, that was a great time. That was a great time for me and a lot of great memories that season. Thank you, Pat. Hi, Julius. Um, congrats, I’m Shannon with the Daily Tar Heel. And um, my question with you is like you kind of mentioned, um, you have this kind of relationships with your teammates and your coaches that kind of outshine sometimes just some of the moments. Um, so is there like something that a teammate or a coach has said that has kind of stuck with you throughout your career. You know, I just yesterday, uh, uh, um, I called, I called John Fox yesterday. Coach Fox, uh, who’s my first coach there in Carolina. And, you know, we talked for about, we talked for a while for about 30 45 minutes just talking and catching up and stuff like that. And, um, he used to always have these sayings that he used to always tell us that I, I carry with me throughout my career when I went to other places, even when I came back. And, um, he was just, you know, one of the, one of the main things was, oh, nobody is gonna come to save us, nobody’s gonna come save you. So just, just meaning that, um, you know, you gotta, if you’re going through a hard, hard time in the season, you’re going through a tough, tough period of time throughout the season, you gotta figure out a way to, to get it done because nobody is gonna come and figure it out for you. You gotta figure it out for yourself. And I took that with me throughout my career and whenever times got tough during the season and, you know, we went on the skid or whatever, like I would always remind myself that nobody is gonna come save you. So just figure it out. And I had a great time talking with coach Fox yesterday, man, we talked about a lot and, um, he, he had a, he had a great influence on my career. And one other thing, um, what is kind of some advice that you would give either like current people in the NFL or even in college that you wish you would have been told. Um, there’s so many things, so many things that go into it, but, you know, if I could tell guys one outside of on the field, stuff would be to surround yourself with the right people off the field. Um, whether that be your agent, your financial people, um, your friends, um, people that just gonna have your best interest at heart and that are not gonna be a distraction for you gotta surround yourself with the right people off the field and that will help your performance on the field. Um, so that, that would be something that I would tell them and it’s not even sports related, but that’s something that I would, I would tell people to, uh, to do, make sure you got the right people around you. Thank you. Let’s go to Mike Solarte, followed by Joe Person and John Ellis. Be good to see you. Congratulations, my friend. Thank you. When you were going through uh your career and as you were getting into your career, I know that we were, we were guilty of asking you after games. Is this the best? Is this your, your best performance? Is this that, you know, and then when you retire, you get the opportunity to look back. So, in your wildest dreams, could you have ever envisioned everything that has come your way in the last couple of months with the college football Hall of Fame, the Panthers Hall of Honor, first Ballot, pro football Hall of Fame. Could you have ever envisioned all this? Because as a competitor, you, you already think you’re the best, but now the accolades are rolling in proving that you were one of the best. Yeah. And you know, I didn’t, it’s not, it’s, it’s not something that you play the game for, really, for the accolades and stuff like that you just play. Um, uh, now that I look back, it’s like I never making the Hall of Fame was never a goal of mine. I never, that’s just something that you don’t do. You, you, you, you keep, you, you put your head down and you do the work throughout the season and, and, and throughout the years and, um you know, you just, you just try to keep doing it, you try to keep doing it because anybody can have a good season. You know, anybody can have one or two good seasons. Right. But, you know, the, the, the, the good ones, the great ones do it consistently. So that’s what I tried to strive for because I, I always, that’s, and, and, you know, I always felt like that, you know, anybody can have a good game. Anybody can have a good year. Can you do it again? And that was my mentality. Can you do it again? You had a good season last year, but can, can you do it again? And you gotta keep doing it? So, um, that’s how I looked at it. Hall of Fame and all of that stuff wasn’t even on my radar at all at, at any point in my, you know, as I got older and into the last years, you know, people say that stuff like, oh, you, you’re gonna be a first battle of Hall of Famer and all that, but I, I never, I never imagined that it would happen like this and then just as a quick follow up, who was the person in with the Panthers or teammate or coach in when you first got into the league that really, really pushed you and kind of drove, you know, kind of reinforced your mentality of, can you do it again? Can you do it again? That it was Coach Fox, it was Coach Fox, I learned so much from, from, from him and, and his staff um Mike T of had uh Jack Del Rio at the time. Um Sam Mills II, I think I came into a pretty good situation with great leaders, great, great men to learn from. Uh So, you know, I, I wasn’t saying a lot because you know, you’re a rookie like, like be quiet, like don’t like, what are you talking about? So I just used to listen a lot and watch Mike Rucker Brent, uh uh Buck, you know, uh Musing II, I use it and to add to that, you know, I, I look around the league now in the locker rooms now and it’s like, I feel like that’s one of the things that’s missing um in the locker room right now is like that, uh, you know, that veteran guy, you might have one or two, but for the most part, it’s, you know, you have one or two old heads in there and then it’s the rest of it is all young guys. So who are you really learning from? Right. So I think that’s the thing missing. Like as for me, like I just mentioned all of those guys and a lot more mark Fields of Mike Menard. Like we had a bunch of guys that had already been in the league that knew how to do it, that you could just learn from and watch. Now, I feel like that’s a part of the, the game that’s missing and, you know, it comes from the CB A and all the contracts and stuff like that where they phased out that kind of guy. But, um, I think, I think that some of these teams could benefit from it. Thanks Julius. Congratulations again then. Hey, Pep, let me echo everyone else’s, uh, congratulations. That was a cool moment. Uh, Thursday night, wanted to ask you, uh, you’re talking a lot about coach Fox. Uh, is he going to present you this, this summer? I don’t know. Actually, um, we still, we still, I, I just got all of the information on the deadlines on things that I need to be preparing for coming up, but we haven’t made a decision on that yet. Um, he, he’s definitely one of the guys that I think about that, uh, that I would like to do it, but I’m not sure yet. Um, yeah, to answer your question, I’m not sure. I don’t know. And then, uh, when you retired, I, I called a bunch of people as, as did all these guys, but, but Jason Capel told me that early in your career, his dad was a Bobcats assistant and that they had serious conversations in that organization about bringing you in for a workout. Did, did they ever call you, did any other NBA teams call you? And how far do you think you could have taken that sport? So, um, I, I never, I didn’t, I never talked to, uh, Mr Capo about that. Um, and me and Jason, we, we really good friends still are now. Um, and, um, I knew, I, I knew, I know his family well, I knew his dad well. Uh, but, you know, I think it was a, I think it was a thing about, uh, all of you guys know, uh, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s been well documented at basketball, like was my first love, right? So, um it was one of those things where I had to give it up for my best interest because I knew that, you know, yeah, that’s your dream to play in the NBA and you probably could do it if you wanted to, but it’s probably not the best move for you. Um, you know, II I was having those thoughts before I went into the draft and um I think I could have played and had a pretty solid career but, you know, it, it wouldn’t have been all Star Hall of Fame type level. So I think, you know, when I think back on it, I think, you know, it definitely was the right choice to give it up and, and go to, and go to football route. Thanks Pat. Hey, Julius. Congratulations, man. Uh John Ellis here. It’s good to finally link up with you after all these years. And uh I, I think the first question I have for you, I got two here, Brian Burns is a guy that I think uh embodies a lot of what you have talked about here in terms of better leadership on this team. Have you had a chance to speak to Brian uh at all during the course of his development? What do you make of his game? And where do you see him fitting in, in terms of uh elite pass rushers, not only in the league but a guy in this locker room for Carolina that can help impact the future young guys that come in the room. He’s um I haven’t, I haven’t really had that much communication with him. He, he actually did um II I traded a couple of texts with him a couple of days ago, you know, he was congratulating me on the hall of fame and stuff like that and we, and we’ve been meaning to um link up uh uh at some point just about those off the field, things that I was talking about, you know. Um No, you know, because that’s, that’s where I come from. I come from, you know, what, what’s going on off the field, who’s around you, who’s, you know, like, what do you have going on? What, like what’s like, what’s your support, look, support, looking up like off the field? Right? Because I think that translate um I, I think it translates to on the field type of stuff. So I’m there for that kind, that more, that kind of stuff like the mentor of Big Brother kind of stuff. Um But like, as far as his game, I think he’s one of the best. I think he’s one of the best. He has all the tools. He’s a, he has all of the talent. Um, you know, and um, I, I like, I hope, I hope, I hope we’re able to keep him. I hope he stays. So. Uh Yeah. Yeah, I hope, I, I hope we, we be able to keep them around for a long time. And lastly, you mentioned Sam Mills and I, I think it’s a name that doesn’t get mentioned enough, uh from us, from fans and, and, you know, we all have a short term memory here but, you know, it was said, I think a while back from Kevin Donnelly or somebody that keep pounding, it wasn’t a hashtag back then. It was organic and it, it grew and now you’re gonna share a bust right there with Sam Mills in the Hall of Fame and, and just talk about the emotions with that and one game that comes to mind, if you can just tell me the speech that happened before that Dallas playoff game, it was kind of the perfect game, right? You had an interception, no turnovers, no penalties. Uh Just Sam Mills, what he meant to you and what it means to be in the same building as him up there in Canton now. Yeah. So I was, I was actually there at his enshrinement. Um, two years ago, I went to, um, I went up to Can for it. I drove down, um, to be there for that because it’s such a, uh, such a special moment and he means so much to the organization. Uh, and I, I’m, I’m honored to, to, to be able to say that I was there that I, I had a chance to, you know, uh, be around him for a, for a short time. Um I even played for his son, his, his, uh you know, um Sam Mills the third actually was my coach too. So, um I have a very great relationship with that family. It’s an honor to be friends with them. Um and be a, be, uh, you know, be close to something that means so much to the team because, you know, when he, when he started talking about the keep count of thing when that became a thing, it, it, it happened, you know, like you said, it did happen organically. It’s something that, you know, we didn’t as a team, we didn’t have to come up with anything, a catchphrase or, or macho or anything it was there. It was given to us. And um, so I think that’s what, what, what makes it special because it’s, it’s something that’s real and authentic. Congratulations Julius. Appreciate it. All right, let’s wrap it up with Deshawn Brown. Julius. Congratulations. This is Deshawn Brown from Channel. Nine, I’ll end essentially where we started. When you began speaking today, you mentioned wanting to prove that you belonged when you were drafted, as you look back over your career. What was that moment when you felt like you would achieve that? Um I think it was like the first, like it was, it was during the first season during the first couple of games. Uh If I’m not mistaken, the first, the very first game was against Baltimore Ravens. Uh The first regular season game was against the Baltimore Ravens. Um Ray Lewis, Deion Sanders was there at the time. Um um Ed Reed was a rookie like, like me, but um the, the last play of that game, we, we had a blitz card and um and um I came through, I got the sack. Well, actually it wasn’t a sack, it was like a past deflection and then ended up catching it for an interception and that was to close out the game. So that in itself, that first game to be able to make a big play at the end of the game gave me a big boost of confidence to, to let me know that, you know, I could do it.

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