Brian Urlacher Wiki: Linebacker, Net Worth, NFL, Chicago Bears & Facts To Know

Brian Urlacher was born in 1978. He is a former American football linebacker who spent his 13-year-long career playing for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Urlacher used to play college football for the University of New Mexico and there be became one the school's most celebrated athletes. He was born to parents, Bradley and Lavoyda Urlacher in Pasco, Washington. He had a younger brother, Casey. He was later raised in New Mexico by his mom along with his siblings when his parents separated. He developed an interest in sports quite young in his youth. He used to play basketball, football, track and also table tennis. He graduated from the Lovington high School in 1996. He spent his teenage years playing sports gaining speed, stamina and strength. With a height of 1.93 m, he had a body made for sports. With a towering height and an athletic body, Urlacher had a mind set in sports. He led the Lovington High School Wildcats to an undefeated 14-0 season and also a division 3-A state championship. Urlacher merited state-recognized honors in football and in basketball. Lovington has honored his accomplishments by retiring his high-school jersey number and by naming a holiday after him. He was selected by the Bears with the ninth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He soon quickly established himself as NFL's one of most productive defensive players. Urlacher won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and was elected to eight Pro Bowls. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005. He is the team's one of the most popular players owing to his style, reputation and accomplishments. After he retired from professional football, he was analyst for Fox Sports 1 for a brief period. He was recently voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on February 3, 2018.

Long groomed Urlacher to the best of his skills; he converted him to 'Lobo-back' which was a cross between linebacker and free safety. Despite Long's extensive changes and work ethics, Lobo's performance declined but Urlacher gained popularity in his team. After the 1999 season, Urlacher was one of the finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, and finished twelfth on the Heisman Trophy ballot. Urlacher also received All-American honors from Walter Camp, from the Football Writers Association of America, and also the Associated Press. He played his final collegiate game at the 2000 Senior Bowl, where he was one of the game's top players. Urlacher was the first player to be inducted into the University of New Mexico's Football Wall of Fame. Urlacher was one of the most talented collegiate prospects in the 2000 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears, needed a defensive playmaker after having the 29th ranked defense in 1999, and so they selected Urlacher in the first round, and he was the draft's ninth overall pick. Urlacher signed a five-year contract worth upto eight million dollars along with a five and a half million dollar signing bonus, within two months of the draft. He was appointed as the team's starting strongside linebacker. However, Urlacher could not perform consistently in his first professional game, and lost his starting position to Rosevelt Colvin. Urlacher excelled at the middle linebacker position for the Chicago Bears Team, and recorded 46 tackles, six sacks, and one interception in his next five starts. Although the Bears finished with a disappointing 5–11 record, Urlacher earned a lot of praise for his performance. Football fans across the nation voted Urlacher. Urlacher again saw victory as one of the Bear's most productive playmakers during the 2001 season. Urlacher was a candidate for 2001 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Football Digest named Urlacher their publication's defensive player of the year. The 2001 Chicago Bears won 13 games, marking the team's best finish since 1986, but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. In 2005, Urlacher won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year after playing for a defensive team that allowed the fewest points per game, and created the most turnovers in the National Football Conference. Urlacher played his second career playoff game against the Carolina Panthers in 2006. The Bears won the NFC Championship against the New Orleans Saints, 39–14, but lost Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts, 29–17. He was elected to the 2006 All-Pro Team and 2007 Pro Bowl, while also earning consideration for the League's Defensive Player of the Year award. During the offseason, Urlacher revised his contract with the Bears, who granted him a $6 million signing bonus with a $1 million increase in salary each of the next four years. Urlacher was also voted to his seventh Pro Bowl for his stellar defensive efforts during the year. In 2012, Urlacher was awarded the Ed Block Courage Award, which is given to those who show a commitment to sportsmanship and courage. On March 20, the Bears announced that Urlacher will not return in 2013 after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. On May 22, 2013, Urlacher announced his retirement via his Twitter account. On November 21, 2017, Urlacher was announced as one of 27 semi-finalists for the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. On February 3, 2018, Urlacher was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brian Urlacher has a net worth of $16 million.

Urlacher is quite active on Twitter and one can read his tweets from his Twitter handle @BUrLacher54.