Papa Bear Retires

(Pic taking from Chicagonow.com)

Over the past several years, Brian Urlacher’s name has been synonymous with the Chicago Bears. He became a great in an organization that has a rich history of badass linebackers. Sure, Urlacher is not the best linebacker to don the blue and orange. He is not even the second best, but he is a beast who absolutely dominated. Mike Singletary,  Bill George, Dick Butkus were all better players but Urlacher brought the same intensity, physicality, and game changing ability that was apparent in all of his predecessors

Urlacher’s intensity transferred from his game to his regular life. Over the last three years, his body has been declining, leading to the release from the only organization that he knew, but whenever he could even barely walk he fought ferociously in the arena like a one-armed gladiator. After being released, he made his feelings known about how upset he was with the organization, but that wasn’t surprising. Urlacher is not a complex man as he says exactly what is on on his mind. 5 years ago, to the chagrin of the Bear faithfuls, he asked for a better deal while still in contract and did not show up for offseason workouts until his demands were met. It was his response to the haters that personified who he was: “It’s easy for people to criticize me for wanting (a new deal), and I understand that it’s a contract and I signed it,” Urlacher said. “But this is the NFL, and if I’d signed it and I’d played like shit, they’d have cut me or tried to get me to take less. In my mind, there’s no difference. If they can ‘break’ a contract, I have a right to ask for more if I play well enough.” While most players would have worded it differently in order to cause little commotion, he put it out there. He is not a subtle man and honesty he had a valid point. The aftermath from the Chicago fans was bad, but he overcame this by playing through blood, sweat, and tears and not giving a flying fuck what anybody else thought. He did things his way.

Urlacher is a proud man, maybe even too proud. He despised losing probably more than anyone else in the league, whether he was actually playing or watching his Bears from afar. While he has felt slighted by the Bears for releasing him and creating a minor feud with the organization, he never received offers from other organizations that he deemed worthy and thus chose the only way out that he thought acceptable. I believe he still has the drive and the passion, but between the injuries that caused him to miss parts of the last few years and the lack of interest from other teams, his only options were to succumb to a hit in his pride or retire. He chose retirement. Whether you liked him or not, his decisions stemmed from the fact that he is a man of principle which needs to be respected. While it’s debatable whether he will be a first ballot HOF, he will eventually be enshrined in Canton. Now let him hibernate.

Stats

Tackles- 1353

Sacks- 41.5

Fumbles Forced-12

Fumbles Recovered-16

Interceptions-22

Games Played-182

(stats taken from ESPN.com)

Career Highlights and awards

8x Pro Bowl

5x All-Pro

AP Defensive Player of the Year

Ed Block Courage Award

NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

NFL Defensive Player of the Year

NFC Champion

NFL Rookie Defensive Player of the month

NFC Player of the month

Careers single season and career records in Tackles

- Kyle