CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Numbers don’t define Julius Peppers. He simply won’t let them.

Yet they follow him, and to everyone outside of the Carolina Panthers, they seem to measure his success. A lot of sacks means a good season, a mediocre number equals a down year.

Based on that barometer, Peppers’ 2003 total of seven sacks – a year after he registered 12 in 12 games – made last season a disappointment.

“It seems like the media and fans go by sacks to determine what kind of season you have,” Peppers said. “But I can have five sacks and still feel like I have an excellent season. It’s about helping your team and knowing your role.”

Beginning with his first season with the Panthers, Peppers’ job became to disrupt offenses. He was a rookie, so teams didn’t know how to prepare for the 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end.

Fast as a linebacker and as agile as a receiver, Peppers wreaked havoc on offensive lines and had six sacks in his first six games. He got six more before sitting out the final four games of the season for taking a dietary supplement that included a substance banned by the NFL.

When he returned at the start of last season, teams were ready for him.

He drew two and three defenders who made it their mission to keep him away from the quarterback. It opened up room for others, most notably end Mike Rucker, who had a career-best 12 sacks last season.

But it also opened up Peppers to outside criticism from those who thought the numbers on the stat sheet measured what kind of season he was having.

The Panthers told Peppers to ignore it.

“We know Julius had an outstanding year,” defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac said. “We were very pleased with what he was able to do within the framework of our defense. I don’t really care about his sack numbers. I care about what he can do to help us win games, and if he’s doing that to the best of his ability.”

Entering his third season, Peppers feels confident he’s got enough experience to handle whatever strategy teams throw at him, beginning with Monday night’s opener against the Green Bay Packers.

“Last year was just going through different looks that people prepared for me,” he said. “I tried to get ready for it, but I really didn’t understand what they were doing.

“I’m just a little bit older now (24) – there’s nothing new to me now, there isn’t anything I don’t understand.”

That’s bad news for opposing teams, especially with linebacker Mark Fields back after missing all of last season with Hodgkin’s disease.

Considered one of the fastest linebackers in the league, Fields can also line up as a standup end and blow through the offensive line to get to the quarterback. His presence will require teams to dedicate defenders to him, freeing up Peppers just a bit.

But if the numbers are down and Peppers falls short of sack expectations, he won’t let it bother him.

“That’s what people go by when they measure the success of defensive linemen and particularly defensive ends in this league – they go by the sacks,” he said. “But as we all know, that’s only one indicator.”

AP-ES-09-13-04 1811EDT