"The good times didn't end when he finally left the field, surrounded by cameras, saluting the crowd. For Julius Peppers, this reunion was expected to spill over into today. While his teammates flew back to Chicago on the team charter, their star defensive end was scheduled to remain in his home state to bask in the moment.

Nobody could blame him. As far as homecomings go, it will be hard to top this.

Not only did the Bears pull out a 23-6 road win despite a wretched performance from backup quarterback Todd Collins, but the defense got back on track after a dismal fourth quarter against the Giants last week, holding the run-oriented Panthers to 85 yards rushing while forcing three turnovers, racking up five sacks and allowing only 62 passing yards.

But that wasn't the best part. For Peppers, the pinch-myself-I-must-be-dreaming moment came midway through the first quarter when he made a play few defensive ends can make.

''The guy is incredible,'' said defensive end Israel Idonije, who had three sacks. ''That's just one guy out on the field taking over. Tip the ball, dive. The quarterback goes to knock it down, and he catches it. The only thing left for him to do is jump up and run it into the end zone. The guy is outstanding. He's going to make his presence felt in the game. No matter what, he's going to do that.''

The play will forever be included in his personal highlight reel. First he deflected Jimmy Clausen's pass. The ball fluttered straight up, and Peppers, like an infielder calling for a pop fly, never took his eyes off it.

He was on his knees, and the ball seemed impossibly far away, but he dived and cradled it to his chest for an interception that set up a field goal to give his new team a 17-3 lead.

''[Geoff] Schwartz tried to cut me, and he didn't get me down,'' Peppers said. ''I was able to get my hand up. The ball popped straight up into the air. I was on my knees, and everyone else was falling down around me. The ball just came right back to me, and I pulled it in.''

Peppers grew up in North Carolina. He was a two-sport star for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He spent his first eight years in the league with the Panthers but was booed whenever his name was announced. No big deal. He expected it.

But he couldn't help himself from leaping to his feet and putting his index finger to his lips after his interception and holding it there, shushing the crowd."