Carey said.

Mike Vandermause columnCarl Carey has known Julius Peppers since his college days at North Carolina and has become accustomed to the decorated pass rusher’s low key manner.But Carey noticed something different about Peppers in March."Probably the most excited that I’ve seen him was actually during the week that he signed with the Packers because in a span of just a few days, he became a Packer and a first time father," said Carey, who has served as Peppers’ academic adviser at North Carolina and his NFL agent. "That’s when I’ve seen the most outward expressions of excitement and joy, so, yeah, he had those two great events happen within days of each other."The Green Bay Packers surprised the football world by signing the 34 year old Peppers to a free agent contract March 15. Three days later, Peppers’ son, Elijah, was born. http://www.packersauthenticofficialshop.com/EDDIE_LACY_SUPER_BOWL_JERSEY.htmlPeppers spent eight NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers and four more with the Chicago Bears. He earned eight Pro Bowl berths and produced eight double digit sack seasons, but many believe he is past his prime.So it was surprising when Packers general manager Ted Thompson, who rarely signs veteran free agents, swooped in just four days after the Bears cut Peppers for salary cap reasons and signed him to a three year, $26 million contract that includes a $7.5 million signing bonus.Think you could be a GM? Build your Packers rosterBased on early returns, it appears to be a perfect match."When he walked into the building and had a chance to meet the core of the front office and coach (Mike) McCarthy as well, he just felt right," Carey said. "I mean, you could see it. It just felt right. Now that he’s had the opportunity to spend some time around there with teammates and other staff, he just feels great about this move and about this chapter of his career."Peppers has been participating in the Packers’ offseason workout http://www.packersauthenticofficialshop.com/JORDY_NELSON_SUPER_BOWL_JERSEY.html program since April 22 and according to Carey is "very happy" in his new surroundings.Carey has been one of Peppers’ most trusted confidants over the years and has talked to him regularly since his arrival in Green Bay."He’s beyond excited," Carey said of Peppers, who is expected to play a hybrid elephant position in Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl XLIX Jersey defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ scheme, with stints as an outside linebacker, end and tackle.Some observers say Peppers looks like he’s in the best shape of his illustrious career."He’s been working incredibly hard during this offseason to be at his very best when the new season begins," Carey said. "And I’ve watched him over the years and I’m very confident that he’s going to do very, very well there."Thompson, for one, seems convinced Peppers has plenty more to give despite his age."Thirty four is not so old, not for some of us," Thompson said. "There’s no evidence of any decline in his play, in our opinion. He still has the same athletic traits that he had coming out. He’s had a remarkable history in the NFL in terms of durability. We’re looking forward to it. I think he is, too."Peppers reached the Super Bowl with Carolina during his second NFL season but still is searching for an elusive championship. He believes he could finally reach that goal with the Packers and, according to Carey, was impressed by his new team from the start of the negotiation process."It was his No. 1 choice, hands down, and he’s pleased with the choice that he made," Carey said."The Packers organization did a great job on playing the lead in making sure that things were handled in a quiet, professional way. It feels to me like that’s kind of the Packer way and Julius actually really appreciated that because that’s how he is as well."Thompson and Peppers appear cut from the same cloth because neither likes to draw attention to themselves or say more in public than necessary. Thompson was pleased that the Peppers signing was essentially done under the cover of darkness Clay Matthews Super Bowl Jersey with no media leaks."It was one of those rare things where the thing was put to bed and everybody was back home before anybody knew about it," Thompson said. "Quite frankly, it was kind of refreshing to do it that way."Despite multiple requests for comment, Thompson waited nearly seven weeks after the Peppers signing before speaking publicly about it. Peppers has yet to talk to members of the local media, a full 2 months after his signing.Vandermause: Credit Packers Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl 49 Jersey for giving TE Lyerla a chanceThere are no indications Peppers is standoffish or has an ax to grind with the media. He simply values his privacy and has rarely granted one on one interviews."I’ve heard him say in the past that rather than the word ’shy’ being used (to describe him) that he prefers ’reserved,’ " Carey said. "He does sit back and observes things and so he’s very in tune to what’s going on around him. Rather than saying a lot about it, he absorbs it."For someone who has achieved so much success, he is truly one of the most humble people that you could ever meet."Which is to say Peppers likely will feel at home in Green Bay, where showboating and brash talk are rare."I just feel Clay Matthews Super Bowl 49 Jersey he is an excellent fit for our program, our organization," McCarthy said soon after the signing. "We are very comfortable with everything as far as his evaluation."Peppers recorded only 7 sacks last season, an indication he might be slipping, but the Bears used him on 82 percent of their defensive snaps. McCarthy said the Packers plan to use Peppers less often in the hopes it will increase his effectiveness.