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The Carolina Panthers have added two more former players to the Hall of Honor, with Julius Peppers and Muhsin Muhammad named as the latest enshrinees on Monday, the team announced.
The two will be recognized in a halftime ceremony on Oct. 29 in a home game against the Houston Texans.
“Muhsin Muhammad and Julius Peppers were drafted by the Panthers. Both became All-Pros here. Both came back to Carolina to finish their careers. This is another homecoming, a permanent one,” team owner David Tepper said in a statement on Monday.
“Not only did Muhsin and Julius set high standards on the field, they also were selected as Panthers Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year team winners. Having gotten to know both these fine men, I have no doubt that they deserve to join the distinguished group of Panthers in the Hall of Honor.”
Muhammad was a second-round pick of the team in 1997, earning two Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro honors in 2004. He was twice named the team's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, and his 85-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XXXVIII is still the longest Super Bowl reception in history.
Muhammad spent 11 of his 14 NFL seasons with the Panthers, racking up 9,255 yards and 50 TDs on 696 catches in Carolina.
“I think absence makes the heart grow fonder, I think, to a certain degree,” Muhammad said, per the team's website. “I think a lot of people at times don't appreciate what they have until it's gone, right?”
Peppers was selected with the No. 2 overall pick by the Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft; he retired fourth on the league's all-time sack list with 159.5, and earned nine Pro Bowl appearances along with six All-Pro distinctions. One of the most decorated players in team history, Peppers was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002 and played 10 of his 17 NFL seasons in Carolina.
“It's definitely been an honor to play with all of those guys,” Peppers said, per the website. “It really was, to actually get to know them, to play with all of the greats.”
Julius Peppers and Muhsin Muhammad are the eighth and ninth players added to the Hall of Honor.
They join former president and GM Mike McCormack, linebacker Sam Mills, the PSL owners “who helped make the stadium and franchise possible,” Steve Smith, Jake Delhomme, Jordan Gross and Wesley Walls.