Apparent Peppers transcript being reviewed by UNC

UNC will not confirm or deny the transcript is that of former football and basketball player Julius Peppers, but the transcript raises questions about whether the current academic scandal dates back 10 years or more.

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A search of the UNC website turned up a result called “Grade Summary for Julius Frazier Peppers.” The link was taken down but not before some screen shots were saved.

The apparent transcript shows Peppers took four independent studies courses in the African and Afro-American Studies department, including the same one three times. Those classes, which don't require class time, were some of the more than four dozen classes that were the focus of a WRAL investigation earlier this month.

According to the record, Peppers received at least a B in three of those courses. Courses outside that department were mostly C's, D's, and F's.

"Student academic records should never be accessible to the public, and the University is investigating reports of what appears to be a former student transcript on the University's website," UNC said in a statement Monday.

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The transcript does not list an instructor for the classes so it is unclear if Peppers took classes from the former department head, Julius Nyang'oro, who stepped down this summer because of the academic scandal.

UNC, which is currently reviewing the African and Afro-American Studies irregularities, hasn't said if it will review these earlier classes. Instead, the focus is on the release of the transcript, a possible violation of federal law.

If the transcript that labeled Peppers is accurate, the finding raises more questions about the courses and whether Peppers was even eligible to play.

Attempts by WRAL to reach Peppers’ agent, Carl Carey, went unanswered Monday. Carey was Peppers’ academic advisor at UNC before becoming his professional agent.

Peppers played at Carolina from 1999 to 2001 and was selected No. 2 overall by the Carolina Panthers.