_(1).jpg) Urlacher in 2014 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1978-05-25)May 25, 1978 (age 47) Pasco, Washington, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 258 lb (117 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Lovington(Lovington, New Mexico) | ||||||||||||||
| College | New Mexico (1996–1999) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2000: 1st round, 9th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Brian Urlacher (/ˈɜːrlækər/; born May 25, 1978) is an American former professionalfootballlinebacker who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with theChicago Bears. He playedcollege football for theNew Mexico Lobos, earning consensusAll-American honors and winningMW Player of the Year in 1999. He was selected ninth overall by the Bears in the2000 NFL draft.
Urlacher quickly established himself as one of the NFL's most productive defensive players, winning theNFL Rookie of the Year Award. During his career, he was selected to eightPro Bowls, recognized as a first-teamAll-Pro four times, and wonNFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2005.[1] He was inducted to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Urlacher was born to Bradley and Lavoyda Urlacher inPasco, Washington,[2][3] and his parents raised him with his younger brotherCasey Urlacher. After his parents separated, Lavoyda raised Urlacher and his siblings inLovington, New Mexico. He spent his youth immersed in sports, and developed an interest infootball,basketball,track, and latertable tennis; he graduated fromLovington High School in 1996. While his mother worked several jobs to keep her family afloat, Urlacher spent his teenage years playing sports for Lovington High School and training inweight rooms.[4]
As he progressed through high school, Urlacher gained experience in all three phases of football. He saw playing time as arunning back,wide receiver,return specialist, anddefensive back.[5] Urlacher led the Lovington High School Wildcats to an undefeated 14–0 season, and a division 3-A state championship in 1995.[4][6] He finished the season with twelvetouchdown receptions, six touchdown returns, and two rushing touchdowns.[5] He additionally received state-recognized honors infootball, as well asbasketball.[7] Lovington has since recognized Urlacher's accomplishments by retiring his high-school jersey number, and naming a holiday after him.[5]
Urlacher wanted to attendTexas Tech University, but the school did not offer him an athletic scholarship.[4]
Urlacher enrolled at theUniversity of New Mexico, majored incriminology, and played for theLobos.[7] Their head coach,Dennis Franchione, converted Urlacher tolinebacker, but often left him on the sidelines in favor of more experienced players.[4] The team finished with winning records during Urlacher's first two years and made a trip to the1997 Insight.com Bowl.[4] The team's success prompted Franchione to leave New Mexico in favor ofTexas Christian University. His departure prompted the school to hireRocky Long, a former coach atUCLA.
Urlacher flourished under Long's tenure.[4] Urlacher not only received more playing time, but also played a more versatile role on both offense and defense. Long converted Urlacher into a "Lobo-Back",[8] a cross between a linebacker andfree safety, and placed him in a3–3–5 defense scheme.[9] He spent significant time training with the team'sdefensive coordinator,Bronco Mendenhall, who helped Urlacher refine his skills as adefensive back.[4] Long also used Urlacher as areturn specialist andwide receiver throughout his final two years with the Lobos.[7] Despite Long's extensive changes to the team's roster, formations, andwork ethic, the Lobos' performance declined. However, Urlacher became one of the team's most productive players during this time. He finished his career with 442tackles, threeinterceptions, 11sacks, and 11 forcedfumbles.[5] Outside of defense, he made seven receptions for 61 yards and sixtouchdowns as a wide receiver, and had 19 returns for 290 yards as a kick returner.[5]
After the 1999 season, he was one of the finalists for theJim Thorpe Award, and finished twelfth on theHeisman Trophy ballot.[10] Urlacher receivedAll-American honors fromWalter Camp,Football Writers Association of America, and theAssociated Press.[7] He played his final collegiate game at the 2000Senior Bowl, where he was one of the game's top players.[11] Urlacher led the nation with 178 tackles during his junior year, and also set a school record for most tackles in a single season.[5] He finished with the third most career tackles in the University of New Mexico's history.[5] The school has honored Urlacher on several occasions. They awarded him with the Male Athlete of the Year Award in 2000,[12] and held a special halftime ceremony to honor his success in 2006.[13] Urlacher was also the first person to be inducted into the University of New Mexico's Football Wall of Fame.[14] On November 9, 2013, during halftime of New Mexico's game againstAir Force, the school retired Urlacher's No. 44 jersey.[15] Urlacher was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame on December 5, 2017.[16]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft3+7⁄8 in (1.93 m) | 258 lb (117 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) | 4.57 s | 1.63 s | 2.69 s | 4.18 s | 6.94 s | 34 in (0.86 m) | 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) | 27 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Scouting Combine[17][18] | ||||||||||||
Urlacher was considered one of the most talented collegiate prospects in the2000 NFL draft,[19] and impressed spectators and analysts at theNFL Scouting Combine bybench pressing 225pounds twenty-seven times and completing theforty-yard dash in 4.57 seconds.[4] TheChicago Bears, who needed a defensive playmaker after having the 29th ranked defense in1999,[20] selected Urlacher in the first round as the ninth overall pick.[21][22]
He signed a five-year contract, worth nearly eight milliondollars with a five and a half million dollar signing bonus, within two months of the draft.[23] Bears head coachDick Jauron recognized Urlacher's versatility as a middle and outsidelinebacker and appointed him as the team's starting strongside linebacker.[4][24] However, Urlacher struggled to perform consistently in his first game and lost his starting position toRosevelt Colvin.[25] Jauron left Urlacher on the sidelines during the following week as theTampa Bay Buccaneers shut out the Bears, 41–0.[26]
He managed to regain a starting spot on the Bears roster afterBarry Minter, the team's veteran middle linebacker, was forced to miss the week 3 game on account of an injury.[27] Urlacher excelled at the middle linebacker position, and recorded 46tackles, sixsacks, and oneinterception in his next five starts.[26] He suffered arib cage injury during this period but still won the league's Rookie Defensive Player of the Month in October.[27] He led the Bears with 124 tackles and eight sacks, both of which surpassed the franchise's previous rookie records.[28] Although the Bears finished with a disappointing 5–11 record, Urlacher received a number of individual accolades for his performance during the season. Many news organizations, such as theAssociated Press andThe Sporting News named him as the 2000Defensive Rookie of the Year.[7][29] Football fans across the nation also voted Urlacher to play at the2001 Pro Bowl as an alternate middle linebacker.[4] Urlacher's successful rookie campaign served as the foundation for his professional career and reputation.[30]
Urlacher became one of the Bears' most productive playmakers during the2001 season. He had one of the best games of his career on October 7 against theAtlanta Falcons in which he held Falcons quarterbackMichael Vick, who was well known for hisscrambling abilities, to just 18 rushing yards.[31] He also recorded aforced fumble and sack,[26] and returned one of Vick's fumbles for a 90-yard touchdown.[26] Two weeks later, Urlacher helped set up a Bears comeback victory against theSan Francisco 49ers by intercepting a pass, and later setting up a game-winning touchdown return forMike Brown, after causing 49erswide receiverTerrell Owens to lose control of a pass.[4] He also caught a touchdown pass from punterBrad Maynard off afake field goal attempt against theWashington Redskins in week 14, which clinched a first-round bye.[32] Urlacher concluded the season with three interceptions, six sacks, and was a candidate for 2001NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.[33]Football Digest named Urlacher their publication's defensive player of the year.[33] The 2001 Chicago Bears won 13 games, marking the team's best finish since 1986, but lost to thePhiladelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.[26]
The Bears' 2001 winning season would be followed by three straight losing seasons. As a result, the Bears fired Jauron and hiredLovie Smith before the2004 NFL season. After the Bears started the season on the lower rungs of theNFC North, Urlacher suffered several injuries that sidelined him for a majority of the season.[34]
In 2005, Urlacher won theNFL Defensive Player of the Year after playing for a defensive team that allowed the fewest points per game, and created the mostturnovers in theNational Football Conference.[35] Urlacher himself recorded at least 10 tackles in six consecutive games, while finishing the season with a team high 121 tackles.[36] He was also credited as one of the team's leaders, whose audibles and experience helped develop several younger teammates.[37] Urlacher led the Bears to an 11–5 record, marking their best finish since2001. Urlacher played his second career playoff game against theCarolina Panthers on January 15, 2006. He recorded seven tackles and one interception in a 29–21 loss.[26] Urlacher was also selected to the2006 Pro Bowl, but declined the position on account of an injury.[38]
The team continued their resurgence into the2006 season, finishing with a record of 13–3. During the season, Urlacher had one of the best performances of his professional career against theArizona Cardinals.[39] He helped the Bearsovercome a 20-point deficit by recording 19 tackles and a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown.[39] TeammateDevin Hester commented on Urlacher's performance, stating, "We watched the film and everybody was saying that he just turned into the Incredible Hulk the last four minutes of the game, just killing people and running over and tackling whoever had the ball."[40] The Bears won theNFC Championship against theNew Orleans Saints 39–14, but lostSuper Bowl XLI to theIndianapolis Colts 29–17. Urlacher finished the season with 93 tackles and three forced fumbles. He was elected to the2006 All-Pro Team and2007 Pro Bowl, while also earning consideration for the League's Defensive Player of the Year award.[41]
The Bears were unable to replicate their success in the2007 season, and finished last in theNFC North. In the middle of the season, Urlacher admitted that he had been suffering from anarthritic back, but later claimed the ailment was not serious.[42] Nevertheless, he finished the season on a high note, registering five interceptions, five sacks, one fumble recovery, 123 tackles, and a defensive touchdown.[43] Following the season's conclusion, Urlacher received minor neck surgery to treat his arthritic back.[44] During the offseason, Urlacher revised his contract with the Bears, who granted him a $6 million signing bonus with a $1 million increase in salary each of the next four years.[45]
Urlacher dislocated his wrist in the 2009 season opener against the Packers. He underwent surgery, and went on to miss the remainder of the season.[46] Urlacher had severely damaged a bone in his wrist that was adjacent to a major nerve. Urlacher was forced to wear a cast on his wrist for 12 weeks and spend a month in therapy to recover from the injury.[47] The Bears began to struggle on offense and defense. As frustration built, Urlacher criticized the Bears offense, stating that the addition ofquarterbackJay Cutler had changed the team's identity.[48][49] The Bears, who have historically employed a strong running game, were beginning to rely more on the pass on offense.[48][49] He went on to say, "Kyle Orton might not be the flashiest quarterback, but the guy is a winner, and that formula worked for us. I hate to say it, but that's the truth."[48] Urlacher and Cutler later made amends.[48] The Bears finished the season with a 7–9 record, and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
After recovering from the injury, Urlacher stated, "I feel more powerful. I'm running to the football, my keys are a lot more clear now, and I'm playing downhill. ... So I think it did help my body kind of calm down and relax a little bit."[50] During the 2010 offseason, Bearsgeneral managerJerry Angelo bolstered the team's defense by signing free agentJulius Peppers.[51]
With Peppers' help, Urlacher and the Bears improved to an 11–5 record in the 2010 NFL season, winning the NFC North and earning a first-roundbye for the2011 playoffs.[52] After leading the NFC in tackles (49) during the period, Urlacher was recognized as the NFC Defensive Player of the Month during December/January.[53] It was the first time winning the award in his career. In the playoffs, the Bears beat theSeattle Seahawks in the divisional round, before falling to the division rivalGreen Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. Urlacher was also voted to his seventhPro Bowl for his stellar defensive efforts during the year. He was ranked 49th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2011.[54]
In 2011, in week 17 against theMinnesota Vikings, Urlacher sprained his MCL when teammateMajor Wright and Vikings receiverPercy Harvin landed on him with 5:15 left in the game.[55][56] Urlacher was eventually named to thePro Bowl, but did not play due to the injury against Minnesota. He missed much of the team's summer practice OTA's while trying to recover from the injury.[57] On August 14, 2012, Urlacher had an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his left knee, and stated that his goal was to play in the 2012 season opener.[58] He eventually practiced on September 3,[59] and played against the Colts in the season opener,[60] though he sat out the second half.[61]
In 2012, Urlacher won theEd Block Courage Award, given to those who showed a commitment to sportsmanship and courage. During his award acceptance speech, Urlacher thanked the Bears for their support after his mother Lavoyda Lenard died.[62] Against theTennessee Titans in week 9, Urlacher interceptedMatt Hasselbeck and returned the pick 46 yards for a touchdown.[63] Urlacher led the Bears in tackles until week 13 against the Seahawks, in which he sustained a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.[64][65] Urlacher became an unrestricted free agent on March 12, 2013.[64] On March 20, the Bears announced that Urlacher would not return in 2013 after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract.[66] Urlacher later belittledPhil Emery's contract negotiations with him and stated the Bears had little intention to re-sign him.[67] In 2015, Urlacher told ESPN that he still respected the Bears organization and front office, but has yet to speak to Emery, who was fired in 2014.[68]
On May 22, 2013, Urlacher announced his retirement via hisTwitter account.[69] In 182 games in the NFL, Urlacher started all but two, the third most in franchise history behindWalter Payton (184) andOlin Kreutz (183), recording a team-record 1,779 tackles, 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, and 11 forced fumbles.[70]
On November 21, 2017, Urlacher was announced as one of 27 semi-finalists for the 2018Pro Football Hall of Fame class.[71][72] The nomination was Urlacher's first, and came in his first year of eligibility.[73] On February 3, 2018, Urlacher was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[74]
In 2002, Urlacher appeared on the game showWheel of Fortune and won over $47,000 for charity.[75]
In May 2002, Urlacher appeared in an episode ofAccording to Jim as himself. The episode was titled No Surprises (season 1, episode 22) and aired on May 15, 2002.
Urlacher has appeared in several commercials forMcDonald's,Domino's Pizza,Comcast,Nike,Campbell's Chunky soup,Old Spice, andGlacéau. He also shared the spotlight withPeyton Manning in aMasterCard commercial at a spa. Nike also aired special commercials about Urlacher'shigh school career containing clips and commentary of plays he made. However, Urlacher later stated that he feels "uncomfortable" appearing in commercials.[76] He was also the cover athlete and spokesperson forSega Sports'NFL 2K3. During media day beforeSuper Bowl XLI Urlacher wore a hat promotingGlacéau vitamin water, a non-NFL approved sponsor, for which he was fined US$100,000.[77]
Urlacher wrestled in a pay-per-view event for theNWA-TNA promotion. The Bears organization discovered this and forced him to stop.[78]
In 2012, with Nike taking over the NFL supplier from Reebok, Urlacher modeled for the new uniforms.[79] In July 2013, Urlacher announced that he will be an analyst forFox Sports 1 onFox Football Daily withJay Glazer andCurt Menefee; he had been courted byNFL Network but decided on Fox Sports.[80] On September 16, 2014, Urlacher resigned from the role to spend more time with his family.[81]
In December 2014, Urlacher participated in the USO Chairman's Holiday tour, which provided entertainment to US troops in five countries around the world.[82]
Urlacher has also been spokesperson for several companies.[83]Sega Sports selected Urlacher to appear on the cover ofNFL 2K3, while other companies, such asNike,McDonald's,Old Spice, andVitamin Water, have featured him in several televisionadvertisements and promotions.[84][85][86]
In 2014, Urlacher underwent a hair transplant surgery performed by RESTORE Hair.[87] He became a spokesman for the Illinois-based clinic and appeared on billboards and television.[87] Urlacher later sued a Florida-based hair transplant clinic for using his image and likeness without his consent.[87]
Following his successful rookie season, Urlacher was able to gain popularity with the fans. On a national level, Urlacher's jersey sales have rivaled those of other NFL superstars, such asBrett Favre andMichael Vick.[88] Football fans across the nation have also voted Urlacher into eightPro Bowls.[89] Urlacher's teammates and coaches have also praised his character and athletic ability.[90] In 2007, former teammateTank Johnson called upon Urlacher to testify during one of his court hearings.[91]
Even after winning theNFL Defensive Player of the Year Award for the2005 season, a 2006Sports Illustrated poll of 361 NFL players named Urlacher the second most overrated player in the league behindTerrell Owens.[92] In response, Urlacher has stated "Just watch the film. I don't know what people are saying, but I'm not too worried about it anymore. All I can do is go out there and play hard and try and help my team win, and that's what I'm going to keep doing."[93]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| NFL Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Chicago Bears franchise record | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | Rec TD | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Yds | Int | Yds | PD | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||||
| 2000 | CHI | 16 | 124 | 98 | 26 | 8.0 | 49 | 2 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | CHI | 16 | 118 | 91 | 27 | 6.0 | 37 | 3 | 60 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 | CHI | 16 | 153 | 117 | 36 | 4.5 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | CHI | 16 | 115 | 86 | 29 | 2.5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | CHI | 9 | 72 | 54 | 18 | 5.5 | 19 | 1 | 42 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | CHI | 16 | 122 | 98 | 24 | 6.0 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | CHI | 16 | 142 | 93 | 49 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 38 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | CHI | 16 | 123 | 93 | 30 | 5.0 | 36 | 5 | 101 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | CHI | 16 | 93 | 79 | 14 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | CHI | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | CHI | 16 | 126 | 97 | 29 | 4.0 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | CHI | 16 | 102 | 84 | 18 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | CHI | 12 | 68 | 53 | 15 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 182 | 1,361 | 1,046 | 315 | 41.5 | 252 | 22 | 324 | 90 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 1 | |
Urlacher has two daughters, Pamela and Riley, with ex-wife Laurie Urlacher and a son,Kennedy, with Tyna Robertson. Kennedy is asafety for theUSC Trojans.[94][95]
In June 2005, Urlacherfiled suit to establish paternity of his son Kennedy.Genetic testing determined that he is Kennedy's father. Kennedy's mother, Tyna Robertson, was already well known to themedia, having made claims ofsexual assault against famed dancerMichael Flatley and a doctor fromNaperville, Illinois.[96] Urlacher and Robertson maintain joint custody over Kennedy. In 2017, Urlacher appealed to aCook County court to remove Kennedy from Robertson's custody after her husband, Ryan Karageorge, was shot and killed in their residence.[97]
In 2011, Urlacher's mother Lavoyda Lenard Urlacher died, and Urlacher was granted temporary leave from the team, returning in time for the season opener.[98][99] His younger brother,Casey, had a brief career in theArena Football League and was later elected mayor ofMettawa, Illinois, in 2013.[100]
In April 2012, Urlacher began dating model and actressJenny McCarthy.[101][102] In August 2012, McCarthy announced that she and Urlacher had ended their relationship.[103] Urlacher married Jennipher Frost, a former contestant onAmerica's Next Top Model on March 13, 2016.[104]
Urlacher enjoysgolfing in his spare time, and during an episode ofHome Turf, he revealed a room in his mansion containing a trove of golf paraphernalia. When home, Urlacher revealed that he also enjoys watching theDiscovery Channel,National Geographic, andHBO'sEntourage. Urlacher enjoys listening to a wide variety of music, includinghip hop,rock, andcountry music.[105]
On August 27, 2020, Urlacher made a post to hisInstagram story criticizingNBA players for boycotting playoff games over the policeshooting of Jacob Blake inKenosha, Wisconsin, and "liked" a now-deleted post supporting shooting suspectKyle Rittenhouse and stating "Patriot Lives Matter," generating significant news and opinion coverage.[106][107][108] The Bears responded to the posts, stating, "The social media posts in no way reflect the values or opinions of the Chicago Bears organization."[109]
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| National | |
