"It was just a matter of getting him going," an executive in personnel for an NFL team said. "You're not really going to see much from him now. This is the warm-up to the warm-up."
On Peppers' first play, veteran tight end Craig Stevens slammed into the 34-year-old with determination and controlled him as the running back ran by for a gain of 4. Peppers gave Stevens a piece of his mind after the play.
A few snaps later, Stevens confronted Peppers again in a run-block situation. After gaining a stalemate, Stevens found himself thrown to the ground by Peppers.
"I saw that," another NFL personnel man said. "(Peppers) looked tough against the run early. Star players don't like the way Stevens plays. He's a finisher."