Latest news with #BrianUrlacher
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
HOF LB Brian Urlacher joins 'The Insiders', shares what he's looking forward to during '25 season
Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher joins 'The Insiders' and shares what he's looking forward to during the 2025 NFL season.
CBS News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Brian Urlacher remembers glory days, weighs in on today's Chicago Bears
This Sunday, Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Brian Urlacher will sail down memory lane on Lake Michigan with City Cruises. No. 54, who played linebacker for the Bears from 2000 to 2012, will share some stories from the glory days of the NFC Championship run. Ahead of that event, Urlacher weighed in on the current Bears team. He thinks the Bears will right the ship with head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams leading the way. Urlacher said Williams was a standout last year despite a disappointing season for the Bears overall. "I like Caleb. I like what he did last year. It's hard as a rookie to come in and have success…," Urlacher said. "The numbers he had were great, and he didn't turn the ball over. That's a big deal for me as a defensive guy to have a rookie quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over. He understands that. He's athletic. He throws the ball good. He's only going to be better and better. I'm excited for him to see what he can do under Ben Johnson, because he's going to put him in position to make a lot of plays." Urlacher first played for the Bears under the late Dick Jauron, and went to the Super Bowl with Lovie Smith at the helm. Since Smith was fired after the 2012 season, the Bears have gone through a succession of coaches who only lasted two or three seasons — Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, and most recently Matt Eberflus, who was fired mid-season last year after the team's high-profile Thanksgiving Day loss to the Lions. Urlacher said he thinks the Bears have finally gotten it right with new head coach Johnson, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. "I feel like they do a good job of hiring. For some reason, it doesn't work out. It drives me crazy, because I want to see them do well. But you know, I like Ben Johnson, but I like Dennis Allen as well. I think Dennis Allen, as a former head coach and a really good coordinator, is going to bring some stability to that defense, not that they need it — they've been good for a long time," Urlacher said. "But Ben Johnson on the offensive side of the ball is going to bring something I don't think Bears fans have ever seen. Just the ways that he puts guys in position to make plays, it's going to really benefit them and what they can do well." Meanwhile, does Urlacher miss training camp all these years later? No, he does not. "You know, we were just talking about the weather earlier before we went on, and how hot it's going to be there, and how humid it is — man, I don't miss being in full pads out in that weather," he said. "I do miss being around my teammates and my coaches and staff and all that, but I do not miss working, you know, practicing three hours a day. It is different now. The schedule is much different than it was when I played. It's good for the players. But I don't miss it at all." And while the 1985 Bears are forever the most iconic, but the 2006 Bears are a close runner-up — with Urlacher, Rex Grossman, Cedric Benson, Devin Hester, Charles "Peanut" Tillman, Robbie Gould. The Bears lost Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts, but they went down as NFC champions and brought plenty of excitement to the city. Believe it or not, it has been almost 20 years since then. Not since 1985, which was 40 years ago now. Since 2006. One unforgettable image from that season was Urlacher himself holding up the Halas Trophy at Soldier Field as the snow came down alongside the late Bears owner Virginia McCaskey, after the Bears beat the New Orleans Saints for the NFC Championship. Urlacher called that moment "probably my fondest memory of my career." "Just that season — some of the games we had, some of the situations we were in — just a great season all around," he said.
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team that compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears hold the NFL records for the most Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees and most retired jersey numbers. Chicago is second all-time in overall victories behind their rival, the Green Bay Packers and are one of the oldest franchises in the NFL, dating back to their start in 1920. Chicago won their first and only Super Bowl in 1986 despite having various NFL greats play for their franchise like Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka, and Brian Urlacher. The current quarterback of the Bears is Heisman Trophy winner and 2024 first overall pick, Caleb Williams.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Linebackers
Twenty-five years of Chicago Bears football are in the books since the turn of the century. Since the calendar turned over to 2000, the Bears have seen some success, but also plenty of woeful stretches. Early on, Chicago became a defensive force, claiming four division titles and reaching only their second Super Bowl in franchise history from 2000 to 2010. Since then, however, a 14-year playoff victory drought that is still ongoing and a one-sided fight with their rival Green Bay Packers have taken the spotlight. For all the ups and downs the Bears have seen, however, they had plenty of talent over the years across offense and defense. Multiple former Bears players are already in the Hall of Fame, while many more provided years of incredible play in the navy and orange. Advertisement Here at Bears Wire, we're celebrating the best Bears players at each position over the last 25 years. Up next is linebacker, a position that has historically been among the franchise's best -- which has proven true through this first quarter century. Brian Urlacher 2000-2012 1,361 total tackles, 138 tackles for loss, 41.5 sacks, 24 QB hits, 22 interceptions (2 touchdowns), 90 pass breakups, 11 forced fumbles, 16 fumble recoveries (2 touchdowns) Dec 26, 2010; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher (54) takes the field against the New York Jets at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports The Bears have had some of the best linebackers in the history of the NFL, and that trend continued into this century with Brian Urlacher, who's not only the Chicago's best linebacker this century but one of their greatest of all-time. Urlacher, a former college safety, established himself as the latest in a long line of Hall of Fame linebackers as an incredibly athletic and gifted player. He played all 13 NFL seasons, all with Chicago. Urlacher is the franchise's all-time leader in solo tackles (1,040) and his 41.5 career sacks is the most by a linebacker in franchise history. Advertisement Urlacher was the face of one of the league's most dominant defenses in the 2000s, where he made life difficult on opposing quarterbacks. He was an integral part of two defenses that led the league in defensive scoring in 2001 and 2005, as well as the 2006 defense that was the catalyst in the team's Super Bowl run. In 13 seasons, Urlacher totaled 1,361 tackles, 41.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and 22 interceptions en route to First-Team All-Pro honors (four times), eight Pro Bowl nods, Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000), Defensive Player of the Year (2005) and he was a first-ballot inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Lance Briggs 2003-2014 1,181 total tackles, 97 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 24 QB hits, 16 interceptions (5 touchdowns), 84 pass breakups, 16 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries (1 touchdown) Sep 15, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears outside linebacker Lance Briggs (55) reacts during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports If not for the Hall of Famer he played alongside for many years, Lance Briggs might be in consideration for the Bears' best linebacker this century (so far). Briggs was a mainstay of Chicago's defenses in the 2000s, playing all 12 NFL seasons with the Bears. In that span, Briggs totaled 1,566 tackles, 15 sacks, 16 interceptions and 18 forced fumbles. While Briggs did play most of his 12-year career alongside Urlacher, Briggs was nothing to scoff at. He was dominant in his own right, especially when it came to taking the ball away. Briggs had six defensive touchdowns (five interceptions, one fumble recovery) which is the third most in franchise history. He was also the first linebacker in NFL history to return an interception for a touchdown in each of his first three seasons. Advertisement Briggs had an impressive resume that includes two First-Team All-Pro nods (2005, 2006), one Second-Team All-Pro nod (2009), seven Pro Bowl appearances (2005-11) and he was named to the 100 greatest Bears of All-Time (28th). The biggest question is why hasn't Briggs been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame yet? It's most likely due to the fact that he played most of his 12-year career alongside a Hall of Famer in Urlacher. Briggs has made the initial list for the Hall of Fame several times now, but he's yet to get to the semi-finalist round. Given Briggs was a defensive cornerstone on some of Chicago's best defenses in the 2000s, the hope is he eventually gets the recognition he deserves. Roquan Smith 2018-2022 607 total tackles, 47 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, 7 interceptions, 1 touchdown, 20 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery Oct 30, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith (58) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports The Bears' linebacker position has been defined by Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs this century, and Chicago found another stud in Roquan Smith with the eighth pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Things didn't get off to a good start after a holdout his rookie season, but he quickly found his stride and established himself as an integral part of the Bears' defense. In four and a half seasons with Chicago, Smith totaled 607 tackles, including 47 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, seven interceptions (including one for a touchdown) and 20 pass breakups. He also totaled at least 100 tackles in each of his four seasons, becoming the first Bears player to achieve that feat since Lance Briggs did in six consecutive seasons (2004-09) Smith earned Second-Team All-Pro nods in 2020 and 2021. Although, there was an argument to be made for him to make the Pro Bowl or even First-Team All-Pro. Advertisement Unfortunately, a contract dispute proved to end Smith's time in Chicago as he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in Nov. 2022. Since joining Baltimore, Smith has been named a First-Team All-Pro three times (2022-24), earned three Pro Bowl nods (2022-24) and earned the pro Butkus Award (2022, 2023). Smith never got the recognition he deserved while playing in Chicago, which is probably due to the team's struggles amid a coaching carousel. But once he was traded to the Ravens, people started finally paying attention to Smith, whose play didn't necessarily improve but was better highlighted on a better team. Rosevelt Colvin 1999-2002 185 total tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 26 sacks, 2 interceptions, 20 pass breakups, 10 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries 16 Dec 2001: Rosevelt Colvin #59 of the Chicago Bears celebrates during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears won 27-3. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit:An underrated linebacker for the Bears this century is Rosevelt Colvin, who was selected in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL draft. Selected by the Bears in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft, Colvin emerged as a talented pass rusher. Playing outside linebacker on run downs and defensive end in passing situations, he recorded a career high 10.5 sacks in 2001 and again in 2002. In the process, he became the first Bears player with double digit sacks in back-to-back seasons since Hall of Famer Richard Dent in 1990-91. Advertisement Colvin spent just four seasons with the Bears, totaling 185 tackles, including 31 tackles for loss, 26 sacks, two interceptions, 20 pass breakups, 10 forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. After his best season in 2002, he was signed by the New England Patriots in 2003, where he spent his final six NFL seasons and won two Super Bowls before retiring following the 2008 season. Colvin grew up watching the Bears and, even 20-plus years removed since playing for Chicago, he's still rooting for the Bears. Honorable mention: Hunter Hillenmeyer Bears All-Quarter Century Team Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Linebackers
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Defensive tackles
Twenty-five years of Chicago Bears football are in the books since the turn of the century. Since the calendar turned over to 2000, the Bears have seen some success, but also plenty of woeful stretches. Early on, Chicago became a defensive force, claiming four division titles and reaching only their second Super Bowl in franchise history from 2000 to 2010. Since then, however, a 14-year playoff victory drought that is still ongoing and a one-sided fight with their rival Green Bay Packers have taken the spotlight. For all the ups and downs the Bears have seen, however, they had plenty of talent over the years across offense and defense. Multiple former Bears players are already in the Hall of Fame, while many more provided years of incredible play in the navy and orange. Advertisement Here at Bears Wire, we're celebrating the best Bears players at each position over the last 25 years. Up next is defensive tackle, a position that has been a catalyst for some of the best Bears defenses in franchise history. Tommie Harris 2004-2010 219 total tackles, 51 tackles for loss, 28.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 4 pass breakups, 1 interception Dec 26, 2010; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris (91) takes the field against the New York Jets at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports The vaunted Bears defense of the mid-2000s had plenty of star power, such as Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Mike Brown, and Charles Tillman. But none were as important as Tommie Harris, the linchpinof Lovie Smith's Tampa 2 defense in Chicago. Harris was the first draft pick of the Lovie era, a player the coach compared to Warren Sapp. It was easy to see why. Advertisement The first-round pick quickly solidified himself as a force up the middle, bullying guards off their blocks and chasing down running backs or quarterbacks with speed across the sidelines. Harris earned Pro Bowl honors three years in a row and was Second-Team All-Pro in 2005. The only thing that could slow Harris down was injuries, which became prevalent later in his career. The most consequential injury took place late in the 2006 season, when Harris missed the rest of the year due to a hamstring injury. Had he been healthy, there's a good shot the Bears would have wound up winning Super Bowl XLI. Regardless, Harris was a menace during the 2000s, and his play was a big reason why those defenses were elite. Akiem Hicks 2016-2021 247 total tackles, 51 tackles for loss, 31 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 8 pass breakups EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 02: Akiem Hicks #96 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a second quarter sack against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 02, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo) There's an argument to be made that no one embodied what it meant to be a Chicago Bear over the last 25 years more than Akiem Hicks. The talented defensive tackle arrived in Chicago as an intriguing free agent and left as one of the most important players in recent memory. Advertisement Hicks joined the Bears in 2016 and easily outperformed his contract with a career year, totaling 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. The Bears signed him to a long-term extension, and Hicks maintained his high level of production that helped vault the defense into a top unit in 2018. With Hicks' help, the Bears won the division and gave Chicago one of the best defensive units they had seen. Hicks played with a tenacity while showing passion that fired Bears fans up all across the world. While Hicks' play started to come back down to earth in part due to injuries, his impact on Vic Fangio's defense won't soon be forgotten. Henry Melton 2009-2013 89 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, 7 pass breakups Nov. 28, 2010; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Henry Melton (69) pressures Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) in the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports Near the end of the 2000s, when Harris was on his last legs, the Bears had a hole at the defensive tackle position. Henry Melton stepped up and filled the void. The 2009 fourth-round pick out of Texas, Melton began making an impact in 2010 as a reserve before becoming a full-time starter in 2011. Advertisement Melton was an athletic three-technique who took advantage of opportunities on the line thanks to the attention given to Julius Peppers. His best two seasons came in 2011 and 2012, when he totaled 13 sacks and 20 tackles. His Bears career didn't last too long, as the team placed the franchise tag on him for the 2013 season, where he played just three games due to suffering a season-ending injury. Melton lasted just two more years in the league, but his play in Chicago helped keep the Bears defense a formidable unit. Ted Washington 2001-2002 45 total tackles, 5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 5 pass breakups 4 Nov 2001: Ted Washington #92 defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears awaits a Cleveland Browns offensive play in their game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears won in overtime 27-21. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Allsport Tough decisions were made when it came down to the final spot for the defensive tackles. While Eddie Goldman was an underrated run stuffer for half a decade in the 2010s, he never dominated like Ted Washington did—even if his stint was short-lived. Washington signed with the Bears as a free agent in 2001 after already being a massive human, playing at 6'5" and 365 pounds, who swallowed double teams like it was nothing during the Bears' magical 2001 season when they went 13-3 and won the NFC Central. Advertisement Washington made everyone's lives easier by helping stuff the run and creating opportunities for players like Brian Urlacher, Rosevelt Colvin, and Phillip Daniels. His play earned him First-Team All-Pro honors that season. He also brought veteran leadership to the team, one that didn't have much experience playing winning football prior to his arrival. Washington only played a season and a half due to injury, but his impact on that 2001 team is still talked about to this day. Honorable mention: Eddie Goldman Bears All-Quarter Century Team This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Defensive tackles
