CHICAGO, IL-NOV. 25: Brian Urlacher #54 of the Chicago Bears looks down the field during an NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings on November 25, 2012 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo courtesy of Tom Dahlin/Getty Images) ( ) Brian Urlacher, a former Chicago Bears linebacker, is coming out of retirement to play football again. The six-time Pro Bowl selection announced his return Thursday morning on ESPN's "Mike & Mike." "I have decided to come back and play for my boys," Urlacher said in a statement. "They need me. I need to be there for them. This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life but I know it's the right thing for me." The 35-year-old Urlacher spent the past three seasons playing for the Miami Dolphins. He had 91 tackles, two interceptions and nine sacks last season. Before joining the Bears in 2006, he played four years for the University of Georgia.
Urlacher announced his retirement on May 23 after 10 successful seasons with the Bears. At the time, he said he was leaving football to focus on becoming a father for the first time. Urlacher is married to actress Brittany Urlacher. They have one son together, Bo, who was born in January 2008.
In other news, Joe Thomas retired from the Cleveland Browns earlier this year after 12 seasons. Other famous athletes to retire include Peyton Manning, John Elway, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods.
13-year Brian Urlacher spent his entire 13-year professional career with the Chicago Bears. The New Mexico squad chose the versatile linebacker in the first round (ninth overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft. He was named the team's rookie of the year after recording 119 tackles and seven sacks.
Urlacher played all over the field for the Bears, serving as a strongside outside linebacker on most downs and moving inside to rush the passer as a three-point defensive end. He finished his career with 456 tackles, 21 sacks, eight interceptions, and two touchdowns. He also returned kicks during his time with Chicago.
After nine seasons in Chicago, Urlacher announced his retirement on March 11, 2020.
Urlacher started his NFL career with the New Mexico Lobos before being selected by the Bears with the ninth pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played in 103 games over 13 years with Chicago, finishing with 456 tackles, 21 sacks, 8 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns.
In April 2010, Urlacher was named the full-time strongside outside linebacker by new Chicago head coach Marc Trestman, replacing James Harrison who moved to the middle linebacker position.
Brian Urlacher (/e: rl'aek@r/; born May 25, 1978) is a retired American football linebacker who spent 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL).
Bears Statistic Record Player1,207 Career Ref Points Career Offensive Scoring Records From 2005 through 2015, Robbie Gould scored 125 touchdowns. 1975–1987: Walter Payton 21,803 total net yards 1975–1987: Walter Payton
Brian Urlacher has announced his retirement from the NFL. On Wednesday, Brian Urlacher announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons, capping off what many consider to be a Hall of Fame career as an iconic Chicago Bears linebacker. Urlacher was let go by the Bears at the end of last season after the two sides couldn't agree on a new deal. He went on to sign with the New York Giants but was released before the start of this year's season. In total, he made 312 appearances for the Bears over the course of his career, scoring 40 sacks and eight interceptions.
Urlacher's retirement comes just three months after former Chicago Bear Lance Briggs retired. The two were expected to be gone by the end of 2016, but now that Urlacher is out, will Briggs return for one more season? It's possible, but it's hard to imagine the Bears letting one of the best pair of linebackers in franchise history walk away for good when they could have kept him around for one more season. Either way, it's been a great career for Urlacher who had a lot of success during his time in Chicago, helping lead the Bears to their first Super Bowl victory in 2006.
After playing college football at Missouri Western State University, Urlacher entered the NFL as a first-round pick (seventh overall) of the Bears in 2004. Over the next thirteen seasons, he played for six different teams in addition to the Bears, making 312 appearances in total.
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