Age: 22
College: New
Mexico
Height: 6’4” Weight: 249
Prelude:
Converted to
linebacker as a freshman in college, Urlacher had two nondescript seasons
before Rocky Long became head coach at New Mexico and gave him an enhanced role
in which he acted as a defensive back as well as linebacker. The versatile
Urlacher also saw action as a kick returner and wide receiver, the latter role
in which he caught six touchdown passes. As a junior, he led the team with 178
tackles and received All-Mountain West Conference honors and in 1999 he was
credited with 148 tackles and five forced fumbles. He received All-America recognition
from several sources and was the first round draft choice of the Bears in 2000.
Urlacher had an immediate impact as he proved to be ideally suited to playing
middle linebacker with his speed and tackling ability in the open field, as
well as excellent instincts.
2000 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Sacks – 8
Most sacks,
game – 2 vs. Minnesota 10/15
Interceptions
– 2
Most
interceptions, game – 1 vs. Detroit 9/24, vs. Tampa Bay 11/19
Int. return
yards – 19
Int. TDs – 0
Fumble
recoveries – 1
Forced fumbles
– 0
Tackles – 101
Assists – 24
Awards &
Honors:
NFL Rookie of
the Year: Sporting News
NFL Defensive
Player of the Year: AP, PFWA
Pro Bowl
Bears went 5-11
to finish fifth in the NFC Central.
Aftermath:
Urlacher was
selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the next three seasons and was a consensus
first-team All-NFL selection in 2001 and ’02. After being limited to nine games
in an injury-plagued 2004 season, in ’05 he was named NFL Defensive Player of
the Year by the Associated Press in addition to receiving All-NFL and Pro Bowl
honors. Urlacher was again a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl
selection in 2006 as the Bears won the NFC Championship. He began to show signs
of wear later in the decade and, after typically being a durable player, missed
all but one game in 2009 due to a wrist injury in the opening contest. But
Urlacher returned to Pro Bowl form in 2010 and ’11 before finishing his career
in 2012. Overall, over the course of
13 seasons and 182 games, he accumulated 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 15
fumble recoveries, and over a thousand tackles. He scored five touchdowns, one
of which came on his only pass reception. Urlacher was a consensus first-team
All-NFL selection four times and was chosen to eight Pro Bowls.
--
Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie
of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by
a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper
Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the
league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).
