Brian Urlacher

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Brian Urlacher
Urlacher addresses the media in a post-game interview
Date of birth	May 25, 1978 (age 28)
Place of birth	Pasco, Washington
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	258 lb (117 kg)
Position(s)	Middle linebacker
College	New Mexico
NFL Draft	2000 / Round 1/ Pick 9
Career Highlights
Pro Bowls	2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007[2]
Awards	2000 NFL Defensive ROY 2005 AP NFL Defensive POY
Records	Numerous Franchise Records[1]
Stats
Statistics	Pro Football Reference NFL.com DatabaseFootball
Team(s)
2000 -Present	Chicago Bears

Brian Keith Urlacher (born May 25, 1978) is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Urlacher, a five-time^[2] Pro Bowl player, has established himself as one of the NFL's most productive linebackers. He is regarded as one of the best defensive players in the NFL, winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005, becoming only the fifth player in NFL history to win both awards,^[1] and anchoring the Bears' defense that set several defensive records during his stint.^[1] His leadership and aggressive playing style have made him a quintessential icon for the Chicago Bears.

Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 3 Professional career 3.1 On the rise 3.2 Monster of the midway 3.3 Reputation 4 Personal life 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Early life

Brian Urlacher was born to Brad and Lavoyda Urlacher in Pasco, Washington. The family broke apart in the late 1980s, and Lavoyda gained custody of Urlacher and his siblings.^[3] Lavoyda then moved the family to Lovington, New Mexico, where she was eager to give the family a new start. While his mother worked several jobs to keep the family afloat, Urlacher spent his free time exercising or playing various sports. Over time, Urlacher developed a sincere interest in football. Urlacher combined his brute force, agility, and speed to lead the Lovington High School Wild Cats to a 14-0 season. Urlacher established himself as a threat in all three phases of the game.^[1]

[edit] College career

Although Urlacher was partial to attending Texas Tech University, his dreams were cut short after the university failed to offer him a much needed scholarship. The only two Division I schools that expressed genuine interests in him were the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State. He ultimately chose to attend the University of New Mexico.^[3] Urlacher did not get a lot of playing time as a freshman in 1996, as head coach Dennis Franchione's rebuilding plan for team relied heavily on upperclassmen .^[3] He saw more playing time in his sophomore year when the University of New Mexico finished with a 9-4, captured the Western Athletic Conference Mountain division title, but eventually lost, 41-13, to Colorado State University in the WAC Championship Game. Despite the loss, the Lobos were invited to play in the Insight.com Bowl, where they lost to the University of Arizona 20-14.^[4]

Following the 1997 season, Franchione left the university to coach for Texas Christian University. Rocky Long, an alumnus of the university and former defensive coordinator for UCLA, helped Urlacher achieve national recognition. Under Long’s tutelage, Urlacher became a “Lobo-Back”, a cross between a linebacker and safety, and garnered much success in Long's 3-3-5 defense scheme.^[5][6] He recorded 422 tackles, the third most in the school’s history, three interceptions, eleven force fumbles and sacks. He was also the team’s return specialist and clutch wide receiver, catching seven passes for six touchdowns.^[1] Urlacher also earned several honors during his collegiate career, being named onto the All-American by Sports Network, Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America, and the Associated Press. Entering the 2000 NFL Draft, Urlacher was considered one of the most talented college prospects in the nation.^[7]

[edit] Professional career

[edit] On the rise

During the 2000 NFL Draft, Urlacher was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round. Early in the season, Urlacher briefly lost his starting position to Rosevelt Colvin.^[8] However, an injury to Barry Minter forced Urlacher to fill in as the team’s starting middle linebacker. After a productive performance against the New York Giants, he became an instant hit, recording over 15 tackles in each of his next two games. Not even a minor injury could prevent Urlacher from claiming the 2000 NFL Rookie of the Year Award , along with an invite to his first Pro Bowl. Over the next two years, Urlacher distinguished himself as one of the league's most productive linebackers by recording 313 tackles, fourteen sacks and five interceptions.^[9]

Under the leadership of new coach Dick Jauron, the Bears surprised many with their performance during the 2001 NFL season. Urlacher helped lead the Bears to three come from behind victories, and two shut-outs. During week fifteen of the 2001 season, a fake field goal allowed Bears' punter Brad Maynard to throw a game winning touchdown pass to Urlacher, giving the Bears the National Football Conference's number two playoff seed.^[10] Despite their extremely productive defense, the Bears lost the divisional playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, the Bears’ 2001 winning season would soon be overshadowed by three years of mediocrity. Prior to the 2004 NFL season, the Bears’ organization fired coach Dick Jauron, and then hired Lovie Smith. After starting the season on the lower rungs of the NFC North, Urlacher suffered several injuries, which sidelined him for a majority of the season.^[11]

[edit] Monster of the midway

Despite starting the 2005 NFL season on a disastrous note, the Bears rebound by winning eight straight games, and eventually clinching a playoff berth against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day. Urlacher played a crucial role in the Bears' playoff berth; he recorded at least ten tackles in six consecutive games, while leading the team with 121 tackles. Additionally, his leadership and seasoned judgment allowed the Bears' defense to allow the fewest points in the league.^[12] By the time the season ended, Urlacher and the Bears had boasted the best league's defense in the entire NFL. Before the regular season’s end, Urlacher was awarded with the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, and an invitation to the Pro Bowl. Urlacher, who ranked among the league's top defensive tiers, received more votes than any other defensive player in the NFL.^[13] The following week, the Carolina Panthers defeated the Bears with a score of 29-21 in the divisional playoffs.

The Bears started the 2006 season by winning nine out of eleven games. Urlacher had a prodigious performance against the Arizona Cardinals during a week six Monday Night Football game. After trailing the Cardinals by twenty points, Urlacher helped the Bears engineer a late comeback, by stripping the ball from Edgerrin James, which led to a pivotal Bears’ recovery and touchdown. The Bears went on to win, 24-23, while Urlacher recorded eighteen total tackles (ten solo).^[14] Later, he went on to overcome a "sprained toe" injury to lead the Bears to a 38-20 victory over the New York Giants, and made an interception in the end-zone the following week to solidify a shutout against the New York Jets.^[15] Urlacher and the Bears concluded the season with a 13-3 record, and the NFC’s top playoff seed. Urlacher was selected as the NFC’s starting middle linebacker in the 2007 Pro Bowl, and was named onto the Associated Press’s "2006 All-Pro Team".^[16][17] He also finished fourth in the 2007 NFL Defensive Player Award.^[18]

Urlacher finished the season with three interceptions and 141 total tackles, which led the National Football Conference and earned Urlacher a selection to his fifth Pro Bowl. He played a pivotal defensive role in the Bears’ post-season victories over the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints. Ultimately, the Bears won the NFC Championship, but lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 29-17, at Super Bowl XLI.^[19] Urlacher opted to defer his Pro Bowl trip due to the earlier toe injury he sustained.^[20]

[edit] Reputation

Following his successful rookie season, Urlacher was able to gain a healthy popularity with the fans. Undoubtedly, he is still one of the most popular current Chicago Bears players. Bears’ fans consider Urlacher to be one of the "Monsters of the Midway", a "Valhalla" of Bears’ icons including Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka, and “Samurai” Mike Singletary. On a national level, Urlacher’s jersey sales have rivaled those of other NFL icons, such as Michael Vick and Brett Favre.^[21] Football fans across the nation have also voted Urlacher into five Pro Bowls.^[2] Urlacher's teammates and coaches have also praised his character and athletic ability. In 2007, teammate Tank Johnson called upon Urlacher to testify during one of his court hearings.^[22]

However, some skeptics and critics have considered Urlacher to be overrated. Urlacher’s injury woes in 2004 caused Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti to name him the NFL’s most overrated player.^[23] Even after recovering from his injury, and winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award for the 2005 season, a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll of 361 NFL players named Urlacher to be the second most overrated player in the league, behind Terrell Owens.^[24] Urlacher was unfazed by the poll’s results. During an interview, he said, "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."^[25]

[edit] Personal life

Although Urlacher may appear to be intimidating, his teammates often criticize him for not being “mean” enough.^[26] Urlacher has a soft side, which is often exposed through his compassion for helping others. In 2002, Brian Urlacher appeared on Wheel of Fortune, and won over $47,000, which he donated to charity. Urlacher, along with other Chicago Bears players, have sold autographed sports memorabilia to help fund the Special Olympics. Furthermore, Urlacher has been involved with charity work since his days at the University of New Mexico, where he volunteered numerous hours for the Special Olympics and Ronald McDonald House.

Urlacher was married, but later divorced by his ex-wife, Laure. While married to Laure, the couple had one daughter named Pamela. After the divorce, Urlacher briefly dated Paris Hilton.^[27] Urlacher's younger brother, Casey Urlacher, lived with him before beginning his professional career in the Arena Football League. Urlacher currently lives with his two children, Pamela and Riley, while occasionally hosting Kennedy.^[28]

In June 2005, Urlacher filed suit to establish paternity of a child, Kennedy. Genetic testing was completed to prove that he is the father. Although Urlacher was more than willing to help the child, he was worried about supplying money to the mother, Tyna Robertson. A former stripper, Robertson was already well-known to the media, having made unsuccessful claims of sexual assault against famed dancer Michael Flatley and a doctor from Naperville, Illinois. Both cases were thrown out, and Flatley is in the process of counter-suing Robertson for defamation of character.^[29]In October of 2006, Urlacher became invigorated after Robertson refused to drive Kennedy to Urlacher’s house in Lake Bluff, Illinois. He took Robertson to court in order to resolve Kennedy’s custody dispute. Ultimately, the judge decided it would be best for Urlacher and Robertson to meet between a halfway point during exchanges for the benefit of both parents and Kennedy.^[30]

Urlacher is also a prosperous businessman. He is the owner of an auto dealership in Lovington, New Mexico, and has appeared in several commercials for McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, Nike, and Campbell's Chunky soup. Nike aired special commercials about Urlacher's high school career which contained clips and commentary of great plays he made in high school. However, Urlacher would later go on to say that he feels "uncomfortable" appearing in commercials.^[31] Urlacher was also the cover athlete and spokesperson for Sega Sports' NFL 2K3. Outside of football, Urlacher is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, and was once invited to sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the Seventh-inning stretch. He also enjoys watching professional wrestling, and even wrestled under the name “The Worm”. When the Bears' organization discovered this, they forced Urlacher to stop wrestling.^[32]

Urlacher enjoys golfing during his spare time. During an episode of AT&T’s Home Turf, Urlacher revealed a room in his mansion which contained a plethora of golf paraphernalia. When home, Urlacher revealed that he enjoys watching the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and HBO’s Entourage. Urlacher enjoys listening to a wide variety of music, including hip-hop, rap, rock, and country music.^[33]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• Official Chicago Bears Profile
• Official NFL Statistics

Preceded by Jevon Kearse	NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year 2000	Succeeded by Kendrell Bell
Preceded by Ed Reed	NFL Defensive Player of the Year 2005	Succeeded by Jason Taylor
Preceded by Cade McNown	Bears 1st round draft pick 2000	Succeeded by David Terrell