Peppers was a highly regarded prospect coming into the 2002 NFL draft earning comparisons to Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor for his ability to dominate a football game. He accumulated 53 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 167 tackles, 5 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, 5 forced fumbles, 13 passes deflected, and 42 quarterback pressures (hurries) and returned 2 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery for touchdowns. He is currently ranked second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks. In the three seasons at North Carolina, Peppers started 33 of the 34 games in which he played. He also won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player and the Lombardi Award as the best collegiate lineman and the Bill Willis Trophy as the nation's best defensive lineman. Following his junior season in 2001, he was a first-team All-ACC selection and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American. Peppers led the nation with 15 quarterback sacks during his sophomore season (2000), and earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and second-team All-American honors.
As a true freshman in 1998, he was redshirted. Peppers attended the University of North Carolina, where he played defensive end for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team from 1998 to 2001. In 2005, Peppers was named by the Rocky Mount Telegram newspaper as one of the 50 Greatest Athletes from the Twin County (Nash and Edgecombe) area. During his senior year (1997–98), he was named to the Parade magazine high school All-America team in football as an all-purpose talent and was also named Male Athlete of the Year by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. He was also rumored to have cleared 2.03 meters in the high jump. Peppers contributed as a sprinter, winning the state championship in the 4×400 meter team relay (3:23.10 minutes) and finishing second as a triple jumper (14.05 meters). In 1998, Southern Nash won the state championship in track for the first time in the school's history. He also lettered in basketball and was voted all-conference as a power forward for four consecutive years. During his high school career, Peppers played running back and defensive lineman, finished his career with 3,501 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns, and was one of the most dangerous defensive linemen in the state. When Peppers arrived at Southern Nash his Freshman year Davis felt that Peppers would be an asset on the gridiron for the Firebirds, despite the fact that Peppers had never played football before. By the time he was a senior at Southern Nash High School, Peppers had grown to 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 225 lb (102 kg).
He attended Bailey Elementary School, Southern Nash Middle School, and finally Southern Nash Senior High School where he played football for Coach Ray Davis. Peppers was born in Wilson, North Carolina, and raised in nearby Bailey.
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