Brian Urlacher
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Career Summary
Brian Urlacher was a Chicago Bears linebacker for 13 NFL seasons and a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.
NFL.com records 182 regular-season games, 1,193 tackles, 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, and two interception-return touchdowns. He played his entire NFL career with Chicago from 2000 through 2012.
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Early Life
Urlacher was born in Pasco, Washington, and grew up in Lovington, New Mexico.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame lists his birth date as May 25, 1978, in Pasco, while the University of New Mexico identifies him as a Lovington native.
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College Career
Urlacher played at New Mexico from 1996 through 1999 in the Lobos' hybrid Lobo back role.
The University of New Mexico describes the role as a blend of linebacker and free safety. Urlacher earned All-America honors in 1998 and 1999, including consensus first-team All-America recognition in 1999, and became the first Lobo football player inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame.
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Path to the NFL
Chicago selected Urlacher ninth overall in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame identifies New Mexico as his college and the Bears as the team that chose him with the ninth overall selection.
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NFL Career
Urlacher became the centerpiece of Chicago's defense during a 13-year Bears career.
He won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 after recording a career-high eight sacks. In 2005, he received AP Defensive Player of the Year honors, and he started at middle linebacker in Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season.
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Career Accomplishments
Urlacher earned eight Pro Bowl selections, five first-team All-Pro honors, and a place on the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him as part of its Class of 2018. The Hall also notes that he was one of the few players to receive both AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and AP Defensive Player of the Year honors.
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Playing Style
Urlacher's career reflected range, production against the run and pass, and playmaking as a middle linebacker.
His NFL totals include 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 91 passes defensed, and two interception-return touchdowns. NFL.com notes that his 41.5 sacks are the most by a Bears linebacker.
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Legacy
Urlacher is remembered as one of the defining Bears defenders of his era.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame calls him one of the greatest defensive players in Bears history. Chicago's 2024 media guide lists his eight Pro Bowl selections alongside the franchise's most decorated linebackers.
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18722, 00-0019456, 1978-05-25, Brian Urlacher, Brian, Urlacher
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