The Nebraska Cornhuskers have offered 2024 three-star defensive back Kennedy Urlacher. He is the son of Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher.
As a junior, Kennedy Urlacher has 20 total tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery in six games per MaxPreps. He attends Chandler High School in Chandler, AZ. Nebraska also recently offered his high school teammate running back Ca’lil Valentine.
247 Sports ranks Urlacher as the 57th-best safety in the 2024 class. He has received offers from Arizona, Iowa, New Mexico, and Northern Arizona.
Nebraska has been active on the recruiting trail, but they are still looking to land their first commit in the 2024 class.
Brian Urlacher’s No. 44 jersey came out of retirement last fall for Lobos’ linebacker Reco Hannah.
Brian Keith Urlacher was born on May 25, 1978, in Pasco, Washington. His parents divorced when he was only seven years old, which led his mother to move him, his brother, and his sister to Lovington, New Mexico to be close to her parents.
When we first moved to Lovington, we had nothing. No, that’s not true. We had each other. But when we first moved there, my mom didn’t have a job. Not to worry, though. My mother was the hardest-working person I’ve ever known. She always found a way to provide for the three of us, even if that meant working three jobs at a time, from cleaning houses to being a grocery store clerk. She was never too proud to take a job if it meant she would be able to provide for us.
I believe there’s a misconception that I grew up with privilege or I had it easy. Quite the opposite, actually. I began working when I was 12 years old, pushing my lawnmower around town mowing yards. I later on worked in the oil fields of Lovington. When I went off to college, a lumberyard an Albuquerque. My mother definitely taught me the importance of learning my way.
After graduating from Lovington, Urlacher signed with New Mexico where he starred as a wide receiver, linebacker, free safety and punt/kick returner. As a senior, he earned First Team All-America selections from Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America and the Associated Press. He was a second-team choice by The Sporting News and Football News.
His great play as a Lobo led to Urlacher being selected as the ninth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. The rest is history.
He became one of the greatest linebackers of all time and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. His No. 44 uniform was retired at New Mexico. That is, until 2021.
On Aug. 30, 2021, Lobos coach, Danny Gonzales chose to bring the legendary No. 44 out of retirement.
“This is all about protecting the past, the present, and the future of Lobo football,” Gonzales said at the time after gaining approval from Urlacher and Bobby Santiago, whose No. 42 jersey was retired and subsequently unretired at the same time as Urlacher’s. “The plan is to use those numbers because they need to be celebrated.”
So, who would coach Gonzales choose to wear the number? Linebacker Reco Hannah. As someone who knows a little bit about Hannah, let me inform all of you that the resemblances he shares with Urlacher are uncanny.
Hannah went to Randolph County High School in Wedowee, Alabama, where he starred as a linebacker, running back and return man. If the RCHS Tigers needed him to do something, he would do it. He would even throw a pass if he needed to.
During his senior season at Randolph County, Hannah was one of the best running backs in the state, carrying the ball 199 times for 2008 yards and 31 touchdowns along with 13 receptions for 353 yards. On defense, he had 102 total tackles (97 solo), six sacks, and five interceptions. The Tigers finished the season 13-1 with a loss to the Fyffe Red Devils in the 2A State Semifinals.
Coming from a small school, Hannah didn’t hold a lot of offers out of high school, much like Urlacher. He wanted to play Division I college football one day, and he believed he was talented enough to do it. So, he took a bet on himself. He left Sweet Home Alabama and headed to Highland, Kansas, where he starred for the JUCO Highland Scotties, but the move wasn’t easy.
“Starting out I won’t say my life was rough but it was pretty rough. My uncle really got me starting to play football so that started with him. I took the JUCO route and went to Highland and my freshman year wasn’t that good as I had to have emergency surgery. It was pretty hard my first year at Highland but I overcame it. My friends backed my up and gave me support to just move on with my life and football,”
“I’m more of a guy that is resilient; I’m more of guy that likes adversity. It’s just a setback for a major comeback,”
Like Urlacher, Hannah’s life wasn’t always easy. He overcame a lot of trials and tribulations to get where he is. He embraced the everyday grind of college football. When times were tough and his back was against a wall, he never quit. To some, he’s just a kid from Rock Mills, Alabama; but to the people that know him, he’s much more than that. He is a leader on and off the football field and he embodies everything it means to be a New Mexico Lobo.
He’s a role model for all of the kids coming through the Randolph County School System. In this job, I don’t often get the chance to spotlight a kid I am familiar with and actually watched because there aren’t many kids that go D1 here. I was at Ron Watters Field watching him run through Class 2A.
I’ve watched him work tirelessly because he believed in himself. Reco beat the odds and never gave up on his dreams. Sure, I’ll be covering the game for LSU this Saturday, but I will definitely be cheering for the hometown kid that is wearing the legendary No. 44.
“Highland has taught me a lot about hard work and about preserving through the hard times,” Hannah said. “I’m a firm believer in “saying less and doing more.” If you have a dream go chase it; even if you don’t play a sport, chase your dreams and goals.”
Brian Urlacher’s No. 44 jersey came out of retirement last fall for Lobos’ linebacker Reco Hannah.
Brian Keith Urlacher was born on May 25, 1978, in Pasco, Washington. His parents divorced when he was only seven years old, which led his mother to move him, his brother, and his sister to Lovington, New Mexico to be close to her parents.
When we first moved to Lovington, we had nothing. No, that’s not true. We had each other. But when we first moved there, my mom didn’t have a job. Not to worry, though. My mother was the hardest-working person I’ve ever known. She always found a way to provide for the three of us, even if that meant working three jobs at a time, from cleaning houses to being a grocery store clerk. She was never too proud to take a job if it meant she would be able to provide for us.
I believe there’s a misconception that I grew up with privilege or I had it easy. Quite the opposite, actually. I began working when I was 12 years old, pushing my lawnmower around town mowing yards. I later on worked in the oil fields of Lovington. When I went off to college, a lumberyard an Albuquerque. My mother definitely taught me the importance of learning my way.
After graduating from Lovington, Urlacher signed with New Mexico where he starred as a wide receiver, linebacker, free safety and punt/kick returner. As a senior, he earned First Team All-America selections from Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America and the Associated Press. He was a second-team choice by The Sporting News and Football News.
His great play as a Lobo led to Urlacher being selected as the ninth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. The rest is history.
He became one of the greatest linebackers of all time and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. His No. 44 uniform was retired at New Mexico. That is, until 2021.
On Aug. 30, 2021, Lobos coach, Danny Gonzales chose to bring the legendary No. 44 out of retirement.
“This is all about protecting the past, the present, and the future of Lobo football,” Gonzales said at the time after gaining approval from Urlacher. “The plan is to use those numbers because they need to be celebrated.”
So, who would coach Gonzales choose to wear the number? Linebacker Reco Hannah. As someone who knows a little bit about Hannah, let me inform all of you that the resemblances he shares with Urlacher are uncanny.
Hannah went to Randolph County High School in Wedowee, Alabama, where he starred as a linebacker, running back and return man. If the RCHS Tigers needed him to do something, he would do it. He would even throw a pass if he needed to.
During his senior season at Randolph County, Hannah was one of the best running backs in the state, carrying the ball 199 times for 2008 yards and 31 touchdowns along with 13 receptions for 353 yards. On defense, he had 102 total tackles (97 solo), six sacks, and five interceptions. The Tigers finished the season 13-1 with a loss to the Fyffe Red Devils in the 2A State Semifinals.
Coming from a small school, Hannah didn’t hold a lot of offers out of high school, much like Urlacher. He wanted to play Division I college football one day, and he believed he was talented enough to do it. So, he took a bet on himself. He left Sweet Home Alabama and headed to Highland, Kansas, where he starred for the JUCO Highland Scotties, but the move wasn’t easy.
“Starting out I won’t say my life was rough but it was pretty rough. My uncle really got me starting to play football so that started with him. I took the JUCO route and went to Highland and my freshman year wasn’t that good as I had to have emergency surgery. It was pretty hard my first year at Highland but I overcame it. My friends backed my up and gave me support to just move on with my life and football,”
“I’m more of a guy that is resilient; I’m more of guy that likes adversity. It’s just a setback for a major comeback,”
Like Urlacher, Hannah’s life wasn’t always easy. He overcame a lot of trials and tribulations to get where he is. He embraced the everyday grind of college football. When times were tough and his back was against a wall, he never quit. To some, he’s just a kid from Rock Mills, Alabama; but to the people that know him, he’s much more than that. He is a leader on and off the football field and he embodies everything it means to be a New Mexico Lobo.
He’s a role model for all of the kids coming through the Randolph County School System. In this job, I don’t often get the chance to spotlight a kid I am familiar with and actually watched because there aren’t many kids that go D1 here. I was at Ron Watters Field watching him run through Class 2A.
I’ve watched him work tirelessly because he believed in himself. Reco beat the odds and never gave up on his dreams. Sure, I’ll be covering the game for LSU this Saturday, but I will definitely be cheering for the hometown kid that is wearing the legendary No. 44.
“Highland has taught me a lot about hard work and about preserving through the hard times,” Hannah said. “I’m a firm believer in “saying less and doing more.” If you have a dream go chase it; even if you don’t play a sport, chase your dreams and goals.”
With the Bears transitioning to a 4-3 defense, LB coach Dave Borgonzi has gone into the vault for some inspiration.
With the Chicago Bears transitioning to a 4-3 defense, linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi has gone into the vault for some inspiration.
Borgonzi shows his players film of former Bears linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, who thrived in Lovie Smith’s defense a couple of decades earlier.
These current Bears appreciate seeing former players in this system, like Urlacher and Briggs, whether it’s that Lovie Smith defense or film from Matt Eberflus’ defenses.
“They enjoy that,” Borgonzi said. “They like seeing the former players in the system play, whether it’s Chicago film, Tampa Bay film with coach [Tony] Dungy, Dallas film when coach Flus was there, Indianapolis. We always talk about the system and the style of play. I think they really enjoy doing that.”
Urlacher and Briggs anchored those dominant Bears defenses in the early 2000s, and the pair have combined for 15 Pro Bowls, 5 first-team All-Pro nods and 3 second-team All-Pro nods. Urlacher was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility in 2018.
No one is expecting this group of Bears linebackers to reach those levels. But the hope is this group, featuring Roquan Smith and Nicholas Morrow, will see noticeable improvement in this scheme.
Trump will play alongside Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau on Thursday.
BEDMINSTER, N.J. — The LIV Golf Invitational Series at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster has some big names scheduled for Thursday’s pro-am, including the club’s namesake.
Former President of the United States Donald Trump will tee it up alongside Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau in the first group out at 10 a.m. ET. Other celebrities joining the mix will be media personality and former Olympic decathlete Caitlyn Jenner, football Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Brian Urlacher as well as basketball legend Charles Barkley. The rest of the pro-am participants have yet to be announced.
Barkley, an 11-time NBA All-Star and current TNT analyst, has been flirting with the idea of joining the Greg Norman-led and Saudi Arabia-backed series as a broadcaster over the last few weeks. The fan-favorite with the wonky swing even gave the series an ultimatum for an offer, saying, “When I leave New Jersey Thursday night, when I leave the golf course, if I don’t have an offer in hand, it’s over.”
Last week Barkley met with Norman for dinner in Atlanta to discuss what his role would be with LIV.
The series, funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has long been criticized as a way for the Kingdom to sportswash its human rights record. Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.
He’s been a finalist in each of the last three years.
Zach Thomas was one of the biggest, baddest linebackers of his generation, and he did most of his dominating in the aqua and orange.
In 12 seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Thomas recorded 1,640 tackles, 19.5 sacks, 17 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles and seven recovered fumbles. That level of production was good enough to earn him five First-team All-Pro selections, two Second-team All-Pro selections, seven Pro Bowl appearances and a spot on the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
Despite all of these achievements, Thomas finds himself outside of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even though he’s been a finalist in each of the last three years.
Hall of Fame Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher thinks it’s time that Thomas gets recognized in Canton. On “The Pat McAfee Show” this week, Urlacher brought up Thomas’ absence and was clearly annoyed with it.
“I’m gonna give you one guy – Zach Thomas,” Urlacher said. “How the [expletive] is Zach Thomas not in the Hall of Fame. Put his stats up with mine, Ray [Lewis], any other linebacker who’s even close to the Hall of Fame or been in the Hall of Fame. He’s right there with us, if not better in every category… It pisses me off. Every year I advocate for him to get in, and he was a finalist a couple years, but they don’t put him in. I don’t understand.”
Urlacher then followed up with a tweet early Thursday morning, once again supporting Thomas’ case.
If one of the best linebackers of the generation is saying that Thomas was just as good if not better than any of the other guys that are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he should probably get in.
Finding impactful players in the NFL draft isn’t always easy. But the Bears have had their share of success in the last 10 years.
The 2022 NFL draft is less than two weeks away and the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles will set out to add impactful players to the roster.
This will be Poles’ first go around with the draft as a GM and he’s tasked with finding the next class of great Bears players. Of course, it will take years to determine how well those selections will pan out.
Finding impactful players in the NFL draft isn’t always easy and finding and developing stars can be challenging. However, the Bears have had their share of success since the turn of the century. Here are our top 10 Bears draft picks since 2000.
A couple of Seahawks made history in a good way during Sunday’s win over the Texans.
A couple of Seahawks made history in a good way during Sunday’s win over the Texans. Quarterback Russell Wilson passed Dan Marino’s total of two-touchdown games in his first 10 years in the NFL.
Seattle’s star middle linebacker Bobby Wagner also passed another Hall of Famer’s milestone. With 15 tackles against Houston yesterday, Wagner reached 1,365 total for hiscareer. That’s four more than Bears great Brian Urlacher had during his time in the league. What’s really notable is that Wagner got it done in far fewer games – 148 compared to Urlacher’s 182.
When he’s finally done playing, Wagner will be right up there with Urlacher, Ray Lewis and Luke Kuechly among the greatest linebackers of the modern era. Don’t expect that day to come anytime soon, though. The social media narrative that Wagner’s game has fallen off this season is sad and ignores the impossible burdens frequently placed on him by Ken Norton Jr.’s scheme.
As it turns out, Marc Trestman and Brandon Marshall have a tremendous amount of respect for one another after two years together with Bears.
There were many surprising developments that took place off the football field for the Chicago Bears, but the biggest one might be that former head coach Marc Trestman hosts a leadership podcast – and he had Brandon Marshall on as his latest guest.
Trestman is now an adjunct professor and hosts The Leadership Gameplan, a podcast from the University of Miami School of Law that discusses leadership strategies with various guests. In the most recent episode, Marshall joined Trestman to discuss his own leadership endeavors, both on the field and off.
As it turns out, Trestman and Marshall have a tremendous amount of respect for one another after spending two years together in Chicago. Their tenure was marred by blowout losses, fighting within the locker room, and controversies that have many fans believing it was the worst era in team history.
Now years later, they sat down to talk leadership but also peeled back the curtain during their days in Chicago to explain why some things worked and others didn’t. When it came to Trestman’s leadership style, Marshall actually said he was ahead of his time and that’s why it didn’t work out.
“You were ahead of your time and if there’s one thing you could potentially have done differently is understand that. But I don’t know if you could have,” Marshall told his former coach. “The old way of doing thing in sports was ‘hey, I’ve got these four leaders, you guys are going to do everything…you guys run the show.’ And you came in and you brought in what everyone is adopting now.”
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
When Trestman was hired back in 2013, he put a major emphasis on leadership and what he brought to the table as head coach. He preferred to lead from the back of the meeting rooms, invited countless guest speakers for motivation, encouraged players to speak their minds, and never cursed them out. For some locker rooms, especially in 2021, that might have been the right approach. But not back then as Marshall explained further.
The receiver went on to say because of how the locker room was constructed following the firing of Lovie Smith, Trestman’s message fell on deaf ears.
“I think that was a tough thing for us in Chicago was that locker room was so tight,” Marshall said. “You had Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, [Charles] Peanut Tillman, these guys that were used to one way of thinking, one way of approaching it. And when something new was introduced, it was like a shock to their system and that was the toughest thing.
“You probably spent maybe that entire first year just getting guys to buy in and believe because football is football….the way you set up our philosophy was ‘okay, we know there’s going to be problems but I’m going to give you guys the solutions’ and some of you guys can do that, but structurally, because it was so counterculture to what those guys were used to, it took us a year to kind of just get guys to buy in. We’re talking about big personalities.”
Heading into Trestman’s first season, the team had just said goodbye to Urlacher but still had Briggs and Tillman, who had played under a respected and defensive coach in Smith for nine years. Now they were under an offensive-minded coach who was a stark contrast from Smith.
While Trestman’s arrival saw an offensive explosion as they averaged 381 yards per game in 2013, the defense suffered greatly. Once the calling card of Bears football, the defense fell to historic lows as the Bears trudged through an 8-8 season in year one before bottoming out at 5-11 in year two.
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Though Marshall enjoyed success in Trestman’s offense, posting over 2,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in 29 games, the two seemed to butt heads quite a bit, with Marshall having outbursts in the locker room, the sideline, and in practice over certain issues. But the two were able to laugh it off, with Marshall apologizing to Trestman.
“I used to get so upset with you, this is when I was young Brandon. But I get it now, though so first off, I apologize for all the stress I caused,” Marshall said.
“I had a full head of hair when I got to Chicago,” Trestman quipped.
Both Marshall and Trestman moved on from the Bears after 2014, with Trestman bouncing around the NFL as a coordinator, then moving back to the CFL, and finishing his football career as a head coach of the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers.
Marshall, meanwhile, was traded to the New York Jets where he spent two seasons, then joined the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks before retiring after the 2018 season. He amassed over 12,000 receiving yards and 80+ touchdowns throughout his 13-year career. Now, he is the founder and owner of House of Athlete, a lifestyle and wellness brand for athletes.
The Trestman and Marshall era is well in the rearview mirror, but it’s still one of the most controversial periods in Bears history. Hearing Trestman and Marshall talk about leadership was surprising, but are they correct in thinking the philosophy was just too early for that time? Or was Trestman always doomed to fail, no matter what era he coached in?
The Fan Controlled Football League says it’s in discussions with former NFL stars Ricky Williams and Brian Urlacher to play for the league.
The Fan Controlled Football League says it is in talks with 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher to play for the upstart circuit, a league source told Touchdown Wire on Wednesday.
It would represent a remarkable feat if either player does return to the field to play for the FCFL. Williams, 43, last played in the NFL in the 2011 season. Urlacher, 42, last appeared in an NFL game in 2012.
Williams, the No. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft out of Texas, registered 10,009 career rushing yards in an 11-year NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens.
Urlacher, the No. 9 overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft out of New Mexico, was named to eight Pro Bowls in a 13-year career with the Chicago Bears. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
The FCFL, which plans to kick off its upcoming six-game season on Feb. 13, 2021, will rely on fans to help select play calls for coaches via stream on Twitch. Below are the FCFL teams and notable owners:
