Bears end Peppers donates $250K to UNC scholarship fund

Chapel Hill, NC, United States (4E Sports) – The posting of his transcript on the University of North Carolina website did not deter Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers from making a $250,000 donation to the school’s scholarship fund that supports African-American students.

The former UNC football star’s donation will benefit the Light on the Hill Society Scholarship fund, which supports Africian-American students at UNC. Earlier, Peppers made a $100,000 donation to the same fund in 2009.

“After considering the ways that I might be able to help young college students, I decided to continue my support of the Light on the Hill scholarship,” Peppers said. “I would like to endorse this particular fund and encourage other former UNC students who have found success to reach back and assist the efforts of current and future Tar Heels.”

“This gift is indicative of the kind of man Julius Peppers has become,” Richard Williams, chair of the Light on the Hill Society board, said in a statement. “I am very proud that he credits his experiences at Chapel Hill for helping to shape him. He has really thought deeply about his life, opportunities taken, opportunities lost, his legacy.”

“With this generous gift he wants to help young people make good decisions during their college years,” Williams added.

Last week, Peppers hugged the spotlight after his transcript was posted on the UNC website. The transcript showed that Peppers, who played football at UNC from 1999 through 2001, was barely academically eligible throughout his time at UNC.

In a statement, Peppers said he “was terribly disappointed” that his academic record had become public.

Peppers, an African and Afro-American Studies major at UNC, never graduated as he left school following the 2001 football season. He also played two seasons on the basketball team, and helped the Tar Heels to the 2000 Final Four.

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