Before turning to professional baseball, Pepper was an All-American halfback at Mississippi Southern. He starred in a 1953 Mississippi Southern win over 5th-ranked University of Alabama led by Bart Starr. Pepper had a 66-yard touchdown run combined with a 45-yard touchdown reception in the upset. He complimented his offensive performance with an interception on defense to help lift then Mississippi Southern to its first win against Alabama. Pepper was an explosive threat on the football field with an 8.2 career yards per carry average, still the school record. He also has two touchdowns on kick returns in only 6 attempts.\n', '

Pepper was selected sixth in the 1954 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He instead signed a bonus contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Under the rules in place at that time, the Pirates were required to keep Pepper on their Major League Baseball roster.\n', '

From 1954 to 1957, Pepper pitched in 44 games for the Pirates. His first win was in a game played on August 26, 1954. He only won one other major league game. Pepper played in his last major league game on June 6, 1957. Three days later he was optioned to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League in order to make room for Dick Hall. Pepper continued to play professional baseball in the minor leagues until 1963.\n', '

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