49 Days Away From College Football Kickoff

We are 49 days away from college football kickoff. We have seven more Saturdays until college football is BACK! Today, we have Bob Chappuis and Julius Peppers. Another two outstanding players ready for you to read all about them. Be sure to check back tomorrow for #48 in our countdown to kickoff. Enjoy!

Bob Chappuis (49) Days Away From College Football Kickoff

Bob Chappuis played for Michigan in 1942, 1946, and 1947. Between the 1942 and 1946 seasons, Chappuis served as a gunner on a B-25 bomber in the Army Air Corps. In September 1944, his crew was recognized for sinking a cruiser in an Italian harbor. On February 13, 1945, Chappuis’ plane was shot down behind German lines, and he parachuted into the Po Valley near Florence, Italy. An Italian family that supported the Allies found him and hid him in their attic. At one point, the German command set up its headquarters in the house next door, but Chappuis remained hidden. He was freed when Allied troops liberated the town. Chappuis always remembered the family who saved him and visited them several times after the war.

On the football field, he led the Big Ten in total offense twice and was named a unanimous All-America halfback in 1947. That year, he helped Michigan achieve a perfect season and was named Most Valuable Player in the Rose Bowl after leading the team to a 49-0 win over Southern California. In one 1947 game, he ran and passed for 307 yards, setting a school record that stood for 20 years. After his football career, Chappuis joined Central Soya Co., where he served as vice president for 13 years before retiring in 1983.

Another Great #49 Julius Peppers, North Carolina

Julius Peppers was a First Team All-American in 2001 and a Second Team All-American in 2000. In 2001, he won both the Bednarik Award for the nation’s top defensive player and the Lombardi Award for the nation’s top lineman, becoming the first Tar Heel defensive player to win a national college football award.

Peppers was named First Team All-ACC twice. In 2000, he led the conference with 24 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. Even though he played only three seasons, his 30.5 career sacks are eighth and his 53 tackles for loss are 15th in ACC history. He holds UNC’s single-game sack record with four and led the team with three interceptions in 2001. At UNC, he ranks second all-time in both career tackles for loss and sacks. He also had two of the top 10 single-season sack totals, with 15 in 2000 and 9.5 in 2001.

Over his career, Peppers recorded 177 tackles, five interceptions, two interception returns for touchdowns, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one fumble return for a touchdown.

Peppers was also a standout two-sport athlete in the ACC. As a walk-on forward for Carolina’s basketball team, he averaged 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds, helping the Tar Heels share the 2001 regular-season ACC championship.

Peppers was chosen second overall in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He played 17 seasons in the NFL with the Panthers, Bears, and Packers. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2002, made First Team All-Pro four times, Second Team All-Pro three times, and was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times.

Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.

Main Photo: University of Michigan Athletics