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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher is one of the greatest defensive
3linebackers to ever play professional football, dazzling
4Chicago fans with his intensity and work ethic on the field
5coupled with a stand-up reputation off the field; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher was born on May 25, 1978 in Pasco,
7Washington; he moved to New Mexico where he attended Lovington
8High School and excelled in football, basketball, track, and
9table tennis; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Even as a young football player, Brian Urlacher's
11prodigious athleticism and versatility allowed him playing
12time as a running back, wide receiver, return specialist, and
13defensive back; he led the Lovington High School Wildcats to an
14undefeated 14 and 0 season and a division 3-A state
15championship; he finished the season with 12 touchdown
16receptions, six touchdown returns, and two rushing touchdowns;
17and
 
18    WHEREAS, In addition to state-recognized honors in
19football and basketball, Brian Urlacher's alma mater,
20Lovington High School, recognized his accomplishments by
21retiring his high-school jersey number and naming a holiday
22after him; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Upon graduating from Lovington High School, Brian
2Urlacher enrolled at the University of New Mexico, majored in
3criminology, and played for the New Mexico Lobos football team;
4he finished his football career with 442 tackles, three
5interceptions, 11 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles, along with
6catching six touchdown passes and returning five kicks for
7touchdowns; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher's remarkable career at UNM was
9highlighted with All-American honors from Walter Camp, the
10Football Writers Association of America, and the Associated
11Press; his collegiate play culminated with his selection to the
122000 Senior Bowl, where he was one of the game's top players;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher impressed spectators and analysts
15at the NFL Scouting Combine by bench pressing 225 pounds 27
16times and completing the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds; he
17caught the eye of the Chicago Bears, who ultimately selected
18him in the first round as the draft's ninth overall pick; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Bear's head coach, Dick Jauron, recognized Brian
20Urlacher's versatility as a middle and outside linebacker and
21appointed him as the team's starting strong-side linebacker;
22and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, During his first season with the Bears, Brian
2Urlacher recorded 124 tackles and eight sacks, surpassing the
3franchise's previous rookie records; he received a number of
4individual accolades for his performance during the season,
5including from the Associated Press and The Sporting News, who
6named him as the 2000 Defensive Rookie of the Year; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher played one of the best games of his
8career on October 7, 2001 against the Atlanta Falcons, where he
9held Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who was well known for
10his scrambling abilities, to 18 rushing yards and recorded a
11forced fumble with a sack, demonstrating his immense athletic
12ability; he recovered Michael Vick's fumble for a 90-yard
13touchdown; and
 
14    WHEREAS, In 2005, Brian Urlacher won the NFL Defensive
15Player of the Year after the Bears allowed the fewest points
16per game and created the most turnovers in the National
17Football Conference; additionally, he recorded at least 10
18tackles in six consecutive games, while finishing the season
19with a team-high 121 tackles; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher's natural talent as a leader was
21shown in the 2005 season, when he helped the Bears come back
22from a 20-point deficit against the Arizona Cardinals by

 

 

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1recording 19 tackles and a forced fumble that was returned for
2a touchdown; and
 
3    WHEREAS, In 2012, Brian Urlacher was awarded the Ed Block
4Courage Award, given to those who showed a commitment to
5sportsmanship and courage; during his award acceptance speech,
6he thanked the Bears for their support after his mother Lavoyda
7Lenard died; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher played 182 games with the Chicago
9Bears recording 1,037 solo tackles, 316 assisted tackles, 41.5
10sacks with 252 lost yards, and 22 interceptions for 324 yards
11and two touchdowns; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher was the main reason Lovie Smith's
13Cover 2 defense was so successful in Chicago, rushing offences
14sideline-to-sideline while at the same time having the ability
15to drop back in coverage and take away the middle third of the
16field; this fluidity allowed him to lead the Bear defense to
17the top five in points allowed four times during his tenure
18with the team: in 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2012; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Brian Urlacher stated "If you play middle
20linebacker, you want to play in Chicago because, to me, it's
21the most coveted defensive position in football: middle
22linebacker for the Chicago Bears", and "It was an honor" after

 

 

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1hearing he became the 28th Hall of Famer to enter as a Bear in
2the eight-member 2018 class; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
5applaud and commend Brian Urlacher for his accomplishments
6during his 12 seasons playing for the Chicago Bears; his
7hard-work, dedication, and commitment to teamwork, exemplified
8day-in and day-out, gave fans a reason to enjoy the game
9despite the ebbs and flows of the season; in addition to
10maintaining an unwavering commitment to the game, he
11demonstrated excellent leadership and poise which garnered the
12respect of teammates, coaches, opponent, and fans alike; and be
13it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
15presented to Brian Urlacher and the Chicago Bears.