Brian Urlacher

[LakeCtyNewt]

In a couple of weeks the newest class for the pro football HOF will be announced.

One of the finalists is one of our beloved.

To me wat hung this guy play there is no doubt he belongs in Canton. Curious to hear if everyone on the board agrees.

 

[ClownBaby]

He is HOF worthy although first ballot will really depend who else is up for nomination.

 

[LakeCtyNewt]

He is HOF worthy although first ballot will really depend who else is up for nomination.

Other finalists

Randy Moss
Terrell Owens
Ray Lewis
Isaac Bruce
Edgerrin james
John Lynch
Ty Law
Everson Walls
Brian Dawkins
Tony Boselli
Kevin Mawae
Joe Jacoby
Steve Hutchinson
Alan Faneca

 

[ClownBaby]

Other finalists

Randy Moss
Terrell Owens
Ray Lewis
Isaac Bruce
Edgerrin james
John Lynch
Ty Law
Everson Walls
Brian Dawkins
Tony Boselli
Kevin Mawae
Joe Jacoby
Steve Hutchinson
Alan Faneca

I would rank:

1. Ray Lewis
2. Randy Moss
3. Alan Fanaca
4. Kevin Mawae
5. Brian Urlacher

I would think he gets in this year but the wild card is Terrell Owens.

 

[epicbret]

That's a loaded class

 

[epicbret]

Randy Moss
Ray Lewis
Brian Urlacher
Steve Hutchinson
Brian Dawkins

 

[LakeCtyNewt]

I could see all those and maybe Ty Law too. Owens needs to get in. Despite being a tool the guy could flat out ball

 

[evanston1]

Randy Moss
Ray Lewis
Terrell Owens....#'s don't lie.
Steve Hutchinson
Kevin Mawae
*Urlacher not 1st ballot worthy with this group.
Ray Lewis being there hurts his chances.

 

[LTHSALUM76]

Urlacher is a first ballot guy...no question. Whether he gets in or not this year will be determined. In my opinion he's the best MLB ever in Bears history, and that is really saying something.

 

[mchsalumni]

Randy Moss
Ray Lewis
Terrell Owens....#'s don't lie.
Steve Hutchinson
Kevin Mawae
*Urlacher not 1st ballot worthy with this group.
Ray Lewis being there hurts his chances.

I think he gets in over Mawae. OL never gets the good representation in these votes.

 

[evanston1]

Best MLB in Bear history??
Stop smoking.
He is going heads up with Ray Lewis, can't win that. Both men's aren't gonna be first ballot. Nothing wrong with not being first ballot either.

 

[LTHSALUM76]

Best MLB in Bear history??
Stop smoking.
He is going heads up with Ray Lewis, can't win that. Both men's aren't gonna be first ballot. Nothing wrong with not being first ballot either.

No way Butkus could be anywhere near as effective in today's game. Too slow. But if Urlacher could step back in time he'd dominate that era.

Butkus was great, no doubt and I am not insulting him. Just pointing out some facts. Butkus had a great reputation and was feared. And it took me a long time to come to that conclusion, but Urlacher brought more to the table. Nevermind the size and tremendous strength, the speed is what really stood out with Urlacher for me. Got to see him play up close several times. The guy was unreal.

Players are bigger, stronger, faster and better now than they were then. That is just the truth. Ray Nitschke was another one. Great player in his era, but just another LB now.

That's the great thing about this board, everyone has an opinion.

 

[Cross Bones]

I dont think it's fair to compare eras. Today's worst athletes would have been top notch 50 years ago. That said it will be tough with Ray in there unless they take the murder into account. Also, I have TO over Moss, but both are clearly HOF and IMO top 3 all time.

 

[LakeCtyNewt]

The first ballot hall of famer isssue bothers me most - baseball and football. Either you’re. Hall of famer or you aren’t.

 

[SOUTHSIDECFD]

Butkus vs Urlacher?

Have to judge them vs the era they played in.

 

[ClownBaby]

I dont think it's fair to compare eras. Today's worst athletes would have been top notch 50 years ago. That said it will be tough with Ray in there unless they take the murder into account. Also, I have TO over Moss, but both are clearly HOF and IMO top 3 all time.

But on the flip side what kind of animal would Dick Butkus or Jim Brown be with a modern diet, suppliments and training regime?

 

[SOUTHSIDECFD]

But on the flip side what kind of animal would Dick Butkus or Jim Brown be with a modern diet, suppliments and training regime?

A Loyola Academy Rambler.......

 

[evanston1]

I guess Samarai Mike Singletaey was just pedestrian compared to Urlacher.lol.
Urlacher had great quickness side to side. Didnt shed blocks well when having to deal with those offensive lineman. Just a fact.

 

[LakeCtyNewt]

I guess Samarai Mike Singletaey was just pedestrian compared to Urlacher.lol.
Urlacher had great quickness side to side. Didnt shed blocks well when having to deal with those offensive lineman. Just a fact.

Another fact is Singletary couldn’t cover Edgy.

Another fact, Singletary played with arguably one of the best d-lines in history in front of him. Any linebacker is gonna look good with two hall of famers playing in front of them.

 

[epicbret]

Another fact is Singletary couldn’t cover Edgy.

Another fact, Singletary played with arguably one of the best d-lines in history in front of him. Any linebacker is gonna look good with two hall of famers playing in front of them.

Edgy on the other hand covered Westerkamp, Boykin and Weishar like a GLOVE.

 

[epicbret]

URLACHER
Randy Moss
Terrell Owens
Ray Lewis
John Lynch
Ty Law
Brian Dawkins
Tony Boselli
Kevin Mawae
Steve Hutchinson
Alan Fanaca

ALL HOF worthy IMO

 

[evanston1]

So Urlacher's own top 5 linebackers of all time includes Briggs but not Singletary????????lmao.

Moss
Lewis
Owens
Hutchinson
Mawae

let's see who gets in.

 

[LTHSALUM76]

The thing about comparing eras as unfair is a good argument. The game was different then. I am a middle-aged guy. Whenever I talk to the old dudes (guys my age and older) about topics like this, some of them want to hang onto the good old days and objectivity goes out the window. I have seen a lot of the older retired players talking about how the game is so much faster now and the guys are bigger.

All points here are worth listening to. My point is simple. Football players are bigger, faster, stronger and just plain better than they were just 30 years ago. The young talent today is better. So, if you stand out today you are doing it against better players than we saw years ago.

Back in the day of Butkus the only guy in the entire league who weighed 300 lbs was Ernie Ladd. And he was right at 300. How many 300+ lb guys are out there now? Not just that, these bigger guys are much quicker and faster than, to what seems like, the plodding guys of the 60s.

Again, just my opinion. And it is possible Lewis and Urlacher can get in at the same time. Was Lewis better? I have to say, yes he was. Remember when Lawrence Taylor retired? There were a whole bunch of people who said he was the best LB ever. If that was true then, is it true now? no way.

 

[mchsalumni]

Also, I have TO over Moss, but both are clearly HOF and IMO top 3 all time.

Whoa wait, what? TO and Moss top 3 all time? Come on Bones, that's a little much...

 

[LTHSALUM76]

Whoa wait, what? TO and Moss top 3 all time? Come on Bones, that's a little much...

I don't know, man. Moss is a pretty strong argument.

What about Willie Gault?? Or the Fridge? Hey, he caught a TD pass in Green Bay!

 

[mchsalumni]

I don't know, man. Moss is a pretty strong argument.

What about Willie Gault?? Or the Fridge? Hey, he caught a TD pass in Green Bay!

Moss maybe top 3, TO definitely not. Should have clarified.

Willie Gault could be in top 3 for speed?

 

[Cross Bones]

But on the flip side what kind of animal would Dick Butkus or Jim Brown be with a modern diet, suppliments and training regime?

That's my point really. You can only judge them by how they compared to their competition. It's the only level playing field.

Whoa wait, what? TO and Moss top 3 all time? Come on Bones, that's a little much...

Man, I think people are forgetting how good TO was. And granted it was a few years ago when I checked, but TO and Randy were about neck and neck in the major categories. TO balled out on a broken ankle in the SB though.

@LTHSALUM76 I was watching a video on Sean Taylor recently and a current DB said he was the reason DB's today wear #21 and I was kind of taken back a little bit because it never occurred to me that a DB would wear that # for any player other than Deion. Guess I'm old school now.

 

[LTHSALUM76]

Since so many good points have been made I am re-thinking my post of Urlacher being the best in Bears history.

But, what is the criteria? Do we separate eras? Do we go by athletic ability and effectiveness? With that said, I would like to say Brian Urlacher was the most athletic LB in Bears history.

If we are talking about the violent way the game was played, the fear instilled into the opponent and the dominance of the league, then I have to say that not only was Dick Butkus the best LB in Bears history, he is the best all time in the NFL. No one even compared to Butkus when he played.

I have talked to some Bears fans who suggest Urlacher was better than Lewis. But the objective ones agree that Lewis was the better player.

 

[evanston1]

Butkus...most feared Bear.
Singletary......smartest.
Urlacher....most athletic.

 

[Bwm57]

But on the flip side what kind of animal would Dick Butkus or Jim Brown be with a modern diet, suppliments and training regime?

And modern day knee surgery??
If they had today’s surgical technology how much longer and more effectively might Butkus or Sayers been able to play?