When I think of the ideal NFL player, I think of someone who loves the game, is dedicated to his team and the city he plays for, and always has his head held high. The first person that comes to my mind is the Chicago Bears' very own Brian Urlacher.
It is rare to have someone who is as great at the game as is also a team player for his entire career. When Brian became the staple of the defense, Bears fans, and football fans in general, knew that they had something special.
From his rookie season in 2000, when he recorded eight sacks, to his ninth season this year, when the Bears are looking to get back to being a Super Bowl caliber team, he has always had the "team first" mentality.
This is the guy who, when asked about quarterback problems over the years, always supported what the coaches decided and then backed up that player all the way.
The toughest was when Rex Grossman was the quarterback in the 2006 game at Arizona. The Bears were down 20-0 at halftime and it looked like there was no end in sight.
"I have never played that bad in my life," Grossman said in an interview after the game. Grossman threw four interceptions and lost two fumbles, finishing with a QB rating of 10.2. During halftime, coach Lovie Smith talked to his players and told them this is not over yet, just go out play your best for the next 30 minutes. Brian Urlacher took this to heart.
- B/R Ticket Guide
In the third quarter of the game, the Bears were down 23-3. Then it happened, the beginning to one of the biggest comebacks in NFL history. With two seconds left in the third quarter, rookie DE Mark Anderson sacked Matt Leinart, forcing a fumble. The ball was quickly recovered by safety Mike Brown and returned for the touchdown.
This gave the Bears the spark they were waiting for all night. For the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter it was a seesaw battle, with both teams going scoreless. With only five minutes left in the game and the Cardinals clinging to a 13-point lead, Leinart handed the ball off to running back Edgerrin James.
James was met by a wall of defenders that held him up long enough for Brian Urlacher to strip the ball. The ball was recovered by Bears CB Charles "Peanut" Tillman and returned 40 yards to the house.
Arizona got the ball back and went three and out. With 2:58 left in the game the Cardinals punted the ball to Devin Hester, and the rest is history. He returned the punt 83 yards for a touchdown and put the Bears up by one. With 52 seconds left in the game, Arizona lined up for a game-winning 40-yard field goal. They missed it wide left and the Bears had won.
After the game, Urlacher told reporters that they were never out of this game and never believed they were. He said coach Smith put the fire in him to go out and make something happen. Urlacher was asked whether he would have blamed Grossman for a loss. He responded by saying that they play as a team; win or lose, it is as a team. That has been, and hopefully will continue to be, his stance on the issue.
More recently, Urlacher requested a new deal from the Bears. It did not look so good at the beginning and he was quoted as saying that if a new deal was not done that he would not test free-agency and instead would retire as a Chicago Bear when his current contract was up.
He was happy for his teammates, like Hester and Harris, getting new deals even though he didn't get his. That dedication, however, paid off, and the Bears locked up Urlacher through 2012.
Brian Urlacher is a great athlete and great football player. He is the face of a franchise and a symbol of the NFL. He will continue to do great things for the sport and the city of Chicago, and all I can say is that I am honored to be along for the ride.
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2 months ago
Good job. I like Urlacher and certainly am not a Urlacher hater, but sometimes I just don't know what he does during a game. He doesn't get sacks, fumble recoveries (too often) and a lot of times he's around the ball but isn't making the solo tackle. Help me understand what makes him such a great player besides the fact that he's a good athelete w/speed.
2 months ago
No problem. So far this year he has gotten off to a slow start with only 11 tackles. Last year he had 5 sacks and 5 interceptions which are both good for a linebacker. Over the 8 seasons played he has 37.5 sacks and 15 picks, with 849 tackles. It is his presence on the field that commands respect from the oppenents offense and his fellow teammates. He has done a lot for the Bears on defense. His stats rival guys like Ray Lewis who in 11 seasons has only 799 tackles and 30 sacks and Derrick Brooks who in 13 seasons has 828 tackles and 13.5 sacks. Also Zack Thomas who in 11 seasons has 994 tackles and 19.5 sack and Tedy Bruschi who in 11 seasons has only 676 tackles and 30.5 sacks. These guys are all considered the best at the position of Middle Linebacker and Urlacher is years behind these guys, but has better numbers. Middle Linebacker is not a glamour position on defense like cornerback or defensive end. These are the names you hear a lot but the numbers do not lie. Urlacher will go down as one of the best, if not the best middle linebacker. I hope this shines some light on Urlacher and converts you from "not being a hater" but to being a big fan of his.
2 months ago
Nice article Tom keep it up.
2 months ago
Good job Tom. Urlacher had a tough time with the media last season ("the fans can go to foxsports.com to red my blog) during his mini silent treatment. Now that he has his new money deal, I expect to see Urlacher perform at his expected level. So far, so good, as he continues to do things most linebackers can't.
2 months ago
Great read, Tom!
Urlacher is a beast! One of my favorite players of all time!
from 2 months ago
You know it Tom. Can't wait until the saeson is in full swing. Thanks for giving it a read.
2 months ago
Urlacher is okay......Just kidding. He's great and will be a HOF some year.
2 months ago
The best is when I think back in 04 he was called the most overrated player in the NFL. I'm sorry, but what's so overrated about a 6'4", 260# MLB that can cover like a safety? Great article.
2 months ago
Excellent article, Tom. Gave you 5 Stars and my POTD, he's a great, great player, future HOF and hope we get a decent Offense so he'll get a SB ring.
2 months ago
Great my man.
about 1 month ago
Tom, you're previous comment was totally inaccurate....You must have gotten your stats from nfl.com which actually doesnt show any defensive players statistics from before 2001....meaning that Ray Lewis, Zach Thomas and Derrick Brooks have stats that are unaccounted for! Ray Lewis actually had 1509 tackles before this season started and 30 sacks and 25 interceptions! Zach Thomas has well over 1600 tackles in his career and derrick brooks has 1664 tackles....so you're statement "These guys are all considered the best at the position of Middle Linebacker and Urlacher is years behind these guys, but has better numbers" is out of line and inaccurate!
about 1 month ago
I worded my comment worng and I was trying to compare their numbers since 2001. Thanks for the read.
4 days ago
Of course he's a great team player; he was a Lobo-back in college. What else did you expect?
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