Brian Urlacher is cemented as a legend. Not just in Chicago Bears history but all of Chicago sports history. He is the man who defined an entire decade of football in the city. Not only was he an elite player on the field, capable of ridiculous athletic feats, but his intelligence and leadership were two other aspects that eventually transformed him into a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The first to accomplish that feat since Mike Singletary.
Yet for all the exploits on the field, people never truly knew how good of a person Urlacher was. He was great with giving to charity and accommodating fans whenever possible. It was with his teammates though that he always seemed to shine the brightest. Few embraced the camaraderie of the locker room culture quite like Urlacher. A man notorious for his pranks and his ability to keep guys loose in tough situations.
Former Bears cornerback D.J. Moore found out how far the linebacker would go for teammates. Even ones he hadn’t known too long. In his latest blog entry for ProStyle Media, Moore told a story that made him realize that Urlacher truly was the greatest.
Brian Urlacher offered to pay for rehab for Moore’s mother
It’s so easy to forget that these athletes have personal lives outside of football. Not all of them can be considered stable either. Moore was no exception. It turns out his mother had an unfortunate history of substance abuse. This reared its ugly head in 2011. A lot of people wouldn’t know how to handle a teammate in that sort of situation. Urlacher though, a man who understands a son’s love for his mother, was swift to act.
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What I truly appreciated about who Urlacher is as a man took place my third year in the NFL. A story came out about me dealing with my mom’s drug addiction. I remember Lance coming to me saying he had a similar story about one of his relatives. Then while walking in the hallway passing the trainer’s office, I see Urlacher approaching me. I got the sense he wanted to say something to me, but he wasn’t sure how to deliver it.
He finally got a little bit closer and spoke, “I would like to pay for your mom to go to rehab, this would be strictly between us. Do not worry about the money, you would not owe me a dime.” I didn’t accept the offer but gained even more respect for him than I already had. Playing on that defense was a life changing experience. We had each other’s backs on the field and if they needed it , off the field as well. It all started at the top with the man himself, Brian Urlacher.
This makes it easier to understand than ever why Urlacher was so beloved. Simply being a great player is one thing. Being a great person, friend, and teammate is another. It is little wonder everybody followed the linebacker’s leader without question. Acts like this would make one want to run through a wall for the guy.
