GREEN BAY – It only takes being around Julius Peppers for a few minutes to realize he’s a very reserved person. Placed into a new situation, his shyness becomes even more apparent. Clay Matthews discovered that about Peppers right away last year.

Most might assume that an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and six-time All-Pro would be the one whose presence would intimidate those he meets. But with Peppers, that’s not the case.

Upon walking in the Packers locker room last year, Peppers remembered just how uncomfortable the initial interactions made him.

"I was nervous as heck the first day I came in here," Peppers said Wednesday as he sat at his locker. "I didn’t know any of these guys outside of knowing their names and seeing about them on TV."

Green Bay signed Peppers to a three-year contract in March 2014 with the hope that he would be the pass-rushing tag-team partner for Matthews that had been missing in previous seasons. But as the two new teammates crossed paths for the first time, there wasn’t exactly a lot of chemistry there.

"I came in the team meeting room, sat two spots over from Clay, and he tried to break the ice and joke with me a little bit," Peppers said. "But I was so nervous that I didn’t know what to say. It was a little nerve-racking the first couple days."

Matthews’ ice-breaker line went something like this, as Peppers recalls: "Something about, ‘I could’ve been anywhere in the world, why was I in Green Bay?’ Like, I could’ve gone anywhere I wanted to, so why come here? I don’t remember what I said, but it was nerve-racking."

Peppers was so rattled by the entire situation, he didn’t muster much of a response.

"I just kind of said, ‘I don’t know,’ and just kept looking straight," Peppers said.

He compared it to transferring to a new school and being the kid who doesn’t really know anybody.

"You don’t know what’s going on; you’re just trying to figure it out as you go," Peppers said.

A year later, Peppers is more outgoing with his teammates. Then again, almost anything is an improvement over "I don’t know" followed by looking straight ahead.

On one specific occasion last season, Peppers had more than enough to say. When head coach Mike McCarthy called on him to give a pre-game speech before facing the Chicago Bears, Peppers went well beyond the allotted two minutes. McCarthy would later describe it as "clearly the best (pre-game speech) we’ve ever had."

Still, Peppers is unlikely to get into witty banter with Matthews or anyone else. When young defensive linemen Josh Boyd and Mike Pennel were loudly conversing nearby during Peppers’ interview Wednesday, he looked over and raised his eyebrows. No words were said. Whether coincidental or not, Boyd and Pennel dispersed.

"Ultimately, he sticks to himself," seventh-year defensive lineman B.J. Raji said. "He’s not one of those guys who’s just yapping. When he has something to say, he says it. Otherwise he just kind of sticks to himself."

That’s not to imply that Peppers is some grouch. When any of his teammates ever wants to gain some football wisdom from the gray-bearded veteran, Peppers is always there for them.

"The personality and the uniqueness of the man and the way he interacts with his teammates is special," McCarthy said.

Peppers’ impact on the field for Green Bay last season was easy to spot. He had seven sacks, four forced fumbles, 11 passes defensed and two interceptions – both of which he returned for touchdowns. That production came while playing outside linebacker for the first time in his 13 NFL seasons.

"I think Julius Peppers was probably one of the biggest – or the biggest – impact on our football team last year," McCarthy said.

Peppers’ often quiet leadership style resonated with his teammates. When the team was tasked with picking postseason captains, Peppers was one of the two defensive players chosen (along with safety Morgan Burnett).

"He’s a pretty quiet guy, but we pick up on his mannerisms," said Randall Cobb, who was chosen as a special teams captain during last season’s playoffs. "We pick up on who he is as a teammate, the way that he practices, the way he carries himself around the facility. Those are the things you pick up on and you’re able to learn from."

Added Cobb, "You don’t hear many words from him, so when he does something, I think everybody takes note."

Now that Peppers is no longer the new kid in school, his leadership has grown.

With the Packers and Bears getting set for the 191st game in their 94-year rivalry, it remains to be seen if McCarthy calls on Peppers again for another pre-game speech. Whether it happens Sunday or before some game later in the season, Peppers should look more comfortable standing at the front of the room.

"It’s been a smooth transition on the field and in the locker room," he said. "It’s been pretty easy for me. It’s been aided by my teammates and the coaches to help me along."