page_title: Brian Urlacher
section_title: 2012: Final season and retirement
hierarchical_section_title: Brian Urlacher / Professional career / 2012: Final season and retirement
caption_attribution_description: Lambeau Field, September 13, 2009, 2010. Photo by Mike Morbeck.
context_page_description: Brian Urlacher is a former American football linebacker who spent his entire 13-year career playing for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played college football for the University of New Mexico, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American and became one of the school's most decorated athletes.
  The Bears selected Urlacher with the ninth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Urlacher quickly established himself as one of the NFL's most productive defensive players. After winning the NFL Rookie of the Year Award in 2000, he was elected to eight Pro Bowls, and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2005. His playing style, accomplishments and reputation have made him one of the team's most popular players. After retiring from professional football, he was briefly an analyst for Fox Sports 1. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on February 3, 2018.
context_section_description: In 2012, Urlacher was awarded the Ed Block Courage Award, given to those who showed a commitment to sportsmanship and courage. During his award acceptance speech, Urlacher thanked the Bears for their support after his mother Lavoyda Lenard died. Against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, Urlacher intercepted Matt Hasselbeck, and returned the pick 46 yards for a touchdown. Urlacher led the Bears in tackles until Week 13 against the Seahawks, in which he sustained a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Urlacher became an unrestricted free agent on March 12, 2013. On March 20, the Bears announced that Urlacher would not return in 2013 after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. Urlacher later belittled Phil Emery's contract negotiations with him as 'lip service', and stated the Bears had little intention to re-sign him. In 2015, Urlacher told ESPN that he still respected the Bears organization and front office, but has yet to speak to Emery, who was fired in 2014.
  On May 22, 2013, Urlacher announced his retirement via his Twitter account. In 182 games in the NFL, Urlacher started all but two, the third most in franchise history behind Walter Payton (184) and Olin Kreutz (183), recording a team-record 1,779 tackles, 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, and 11 forced fumbles.
caption: Urlacher in 2009
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