Brian Urlacher

Brian Keith Urlacher (born May 25, 1978 in Pasco, Washington) is a linebacker with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.

Early Life

Brian Urlacher was born to Brad and Lavoyda Urlacher on May 25th, 1978, in Pasco, Washington. During the mid-eighties, the couple slowly drifted apart from each other. When they divorced, Lavoyda gained custody of Brian and his siblings, and moved the family to Lovington, New Mexico.

Lavoyda wanted to ensure that her children would have a positive and healthy upbringing, and thus split a majority of her time between three jobs. Eventually, she married Troy Lenard, a hardworking cowboy and oil field pipe liner. Brian soon grew to appreciate Lenard’s work ethic and began to develop a sense of discipline from him.

During this time, Brian was a very energetic athlete, who excelled in basketball and football. As a sophomore at Lovington High School, Brian began to hone his impressive physical skills, spending hours training in the weight room. Although Brian was naturally gifted with athletic talent, he was often too shy to go over the limit.

Over the next two years, this would all change. Through rigorous training, Brian sprouted nearly five inches and packed more than sixty pounds of muscle to his frame. It was at this point that Brian transformed from a mediocre football receiver to a monster of the gridiron. Brian used his lethal combination of speed, agility, and brute force to lead the Lovington High Wildcats to a perfect 14-0 season. Brian proved himself not only as a threat as a receiver, but also as a safety and punt / kickoff returner. After completing his senior year, Brian was decorated with various all-state honors and awards for his remarkable performance as a safety and receiver.

In a short period of time, Brian’s incredible athletic abilities had made him a legend all across Lovington. Despite all the newfound fame, Brian maintained a low profile and refused to exploit his populairty as many others would have done. Brian shunned underage drinking and excessive partying, and he spent most of his free time playing Ping-Pong and drinking chocolate milk with his friends.

College Career

Although Brian was partial to attending Texas Tech University for his college education, he was never offered a scholarship. The only Division 1-A schools willing to recruit him were the Universities of New Mexico and New Mexico State. Unfazed by the lack of interest in him, Brian chose to enroll into the University of New Mexico and play under the coaching of Dennis Franchione. Brian saw this as a golden opportunity, as he was eager to rise above his humble beginnings in Lovington.

Brian’s first two years at the University of New Mexico were rather uneventful. During his freshman year, Brian was converted to a linebacker and was eager to receive some playtime. Unfortunately, Franchione was in the midst of rebuilding his football team and therefore relied on upperclassmen, leaving Brian sidelined for most of the season.

In 1997, the University of Mexico earned a 9-4 record, giving them a first place ranking in the newly formed Mountain Division of the Western Athletic Conference. Although the University of Colorado defeated the team, they were still able to acquire an invite to the Insight.com Bowl, where they fell before the Arizona Wildcats.

Indulged in his success, Franchione left the University of New Mexico and moved on to Texas Christian University and later to the University of Alabama, followed by Texas A&M University. To fill in the hole left behind, the University of New Mexico hired ex-UCLA defensive coordinator Rocky Long. This move would prove to be vital in anchoring Brian’s future success.

Under the leadership of Long, the University of New Mexico saw several drastic changes. Long converted Brian to a free safety but also made him a receiver for the red zone offense, as well as an occasional kick and punt returner. Brian would go on to outperform his teammates and once again establish himself as both a major offensive and defensive threat. Although the University of New Mexico was forced to cope with a losing season, Brian was invited to play in the Senior Bowl. After a spectacular defensive performance, Brian had earned the attention of several NFL Scouts.

Professional Career

During the 2000 NFL Draft, Brian was selected during the first round (ninth overall) by the Chicago Bears. At the time, things were not looking good for the Bears, as head coach Dick Jauron was forced to manage one of the least-talented rosters in the NFL. With such names as Jim Miller, Cade McNown, Marcus Robinson, and Curtis Enis, the team was bound to have a rough 2000 season.

At first, Brian founded himself victim to several mental errors, which caused him to lose his starting position to Rosevelt Colvin. However, after a back injury to starter Barry Minter, Brian was forced to fill in at middle linebacker. After an outstanding performance against the New York Giants, Brian had impressed the NFL, recording thirteen tackles, and one sack. As the Bears continued to writhe in a losing streak, Brian began to explode into action, recording over fifteen tackles in each of his games for the season. Despite sustaining a minor injury to his ribcage, Brian continued his brilliant performance, earning him the 2000 NFL Rookie of the Year Award and a Pro Bowl

Soon, Brian began to draw a massive fan base in Chicago. Sales of his jersey began to experience a massive growth, and soon ranked among the best-selling jerseys in the nation. Brian was often compared to such great Bears linebackers as Bill George, Dick Butkus and “Samurai” Mike Singletary. As the 2001 NFL season rolled around, Brian would witness an even bigger growth in popularity.

During the 2001 NFL Season, the Chicago Bears voraciously marched through the nation week by week, attaining a sublime 13-3 record. Despite earning the backing of much of the Chicago-land community, the highly favored Bears lost their divisional playoff match to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The next couple of seasons would be marked by mediocrity, and Urlacher found himself going nowhere with the Bears. After a traumatic injury during the 2004 season, Urlacher found himself sidelined for a while and was deprived of a Pro Bowl invitation for the first time since 2000. Nevertheless, Urlacher began to recover, and he watched as his team slowly grew into a force to be reckoned with.

In 2005, under the leadership of sophomore coach Lovie Smith, the Bears started the season on a sour note, losing first string quarterback Rex Grossman, and being forced to cope with a 1-3 start. However, Brian helped spearhead the Bears’ defense, helping them end the season with the best defense in the NFL, and the NFC North title. Unfortunately, not even a first-round bye could help the 11-5 Bears defeat the Carolina Panthers. Once again, the highly anticipated Chicago Bears fell to an underdog wild-card team, devastating several sports analysts and fans alike who predicted to Bears to win the Superbowl. Despite the loss, Urlacher received the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award , as well as an invitation to the Pro Bowl with many of his teammates. However, for reasons unknown, Brian chose not to participate in the 2005 Pro Bowl.

Personal Life

Although Brian may appear to be incredibly intimidating, his fellow players often criticize him for not being “mean” enough ^*. Brian has a very 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. Brian, along with other Chicago Bears players, has sold autographed sports memorabilia to help fund the Special Olympics. Furthermore, Brian has been involved with charity work since his days at the University of New Mexico by volunteering countless hours with the Special Olympics and Ronald McDonald House.

In June 2005, Brian filed suit to establish paternity of a child. Genetic testing was completed to prove that he is the father. Although Brian was more than willing to help the child, he was worried about supplying money to the mother, Tyra 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 countersuing Robertson for defamation of character.

Brian was married but later divorced by his ex-wife, Laure. While married to Laure, the couple had one daughter named Pamela. Currently, Pamela and Laure live together in Phoenix, Arizona. Brian resides in Lake Bluff, Illinois, living in a six bedroom home with his basset hounds.

Trivia

Brian owns an auto dealership in his hometown of Lovington, New Mexico.
In 2003, Brian briefly dated Paris Hilton ^*
Brian has a barbed-wire tattoo on his right arm.
Brian has appeared in several McDonald's and Domino's Pizza commercials. Also, he appeared in a Chunky Soup commercial with his mother. However, Brian would later go on to say that he feels "uncomfortable" appearing in commercials ^*.
According to Brian's official website, he always carries a Ping-Pong Paddle in his car, as he is an avid gamer.
Many NFL icons such as Tom Brady, and Jeff Garcia have admitted to being intimidated by Brian.^*
While enrolled in the University of New Mexico, Brian majored in criminology.
Brian appeared on the cover of Sega Sport's NFL 2K3.
Ever since his childhood, Brian has been a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan. While in Chicago, Brian will often attend Cubs games. In the past, Brian has been invited to throw the ceremonial opening pitch, and sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the Seventh-inning stretch ^*.
Brian enjoys watching professional wrestling. In 2004, he began to wrestle under the name "The Worm" during the off-season. Unfortunately, he was forced to stop by the Chicago Bears's management. ^*

External links