So Long Brian Urlacher

Despite being a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, I'm disappointed to see Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher retire from playing football. Since the Bears and Urlacher parted ways at the beginning of this offseason, I guess that he technically didn't retire as the Chicago Bears middle linebacker. But, he's a Bear. Always will be a Bear. As a Vikings fan, Urlacher was a real pain. As a football fan, Urlacher was a dynamite football player. Over the first half of his professional career he was one of the best football players in the game. He became the blueprint of how the middle linebacker position is played in a cover-2 defense. He was bigger than most linebackers and as fast as many defensive backs. He brought unreal physical skills to the football field. When I first heard of his Scouting Combine performance before the 2000 NFL Draft I thought that he was simply some workout freak. More like Mike Mamula than Ray Lewis. I didn't see any University of New Mexico games so I never saw him do real football things. I didn't see him play linebacker, defensive back, receiver, or return kicks. All things that he did.  He caught six touchdown passes. He returned five kicks for touchdowns. I didn't see any of that. I only saw his workout numbers and they were freaky for a player his size. I wondered which NFL team would gamble on this player. I was ecstatic when the Bears made that gamble and selected Brian Urlacher with the ninth pick of the draft. About five months later I was pretty upset that the Bears had made that gamble. It was apparent early that Brian Urlacher had a bright future in the NFL.

Brian Urlacher looked too much like Uncle Fester to be a dominant football player but he most certainly was. He was such a great football player. For the first half of his career it seemed that he made a game changing play in every Bears-Vikings game. Plays that very few players can make. Plays that he made look easy.

-5x All-Pro
-8x Pro Bowl
-AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2005)
-NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000)
-Ed Block Courage Award (2011)
-NFL 2000s All Decade Team

He was easy to admire as a great football player and easy to hate as a Bear. Of course, all the talking heads have been debating the Hall of Fame candidacy of Brain Urlacher ever since his retirement announcement. I see no doubt that he's Canton bound. Is he a first ballot inductee? Who knows? Cris Carter was a first ballot Hall of Famer but the voters didn't get that one right until six years later. In my book, Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis go into the hall of Fame together five years from now. The two best middle linebacker of their era. Two of the best of all time.

Thanks for the thrills, Brian Urlacher. Except for those against the Vikings.