Best NC Athlete ever? How about Julius Peppers Posted Jul 26, 2020 Recently I stumbled onto a social media thread asking about the best high school athletes who competed in North Carolina. I immediately thought of Julius Peppers. It’s not just that Peppers ran for over 3500 yards and 38 touchdowns in three years as a running back at Southern Nash High School. Peppers was about more than just running the ball. (WRAL Sports Fan)