By now, Bears fans have seen the replay of middle linebacker Brian Urlacher getting blocked Sunday as the Rams’ Marshall Faulk runs through his hole for a 52-yard gain almost as often as they have seen Urlacher’s new fast-food commercial.
To critics, that play symbolizes a season gone bad for Urlacher; a season defined by what he hasn’t done more than by what he has. His team-leading 90 tackles through 10 games puts him on track for his lowest output ever. His 10-game stretch of not being involved in a turnover is his career longest.
“I’m trying,” Urlacher said Thursday. “Seems like there’s nothing in my area in the passing game, and in the running game I just haven’t gotten the ball out yet. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
So why is Urlacher smiling?
A good guess: Her name is Pamela, and her picture taped inside Urlacher’s locker has helped him through a tumultuous 3-7 season. His daughter turns 3 next month, and Urlacher can’t wait to celebrate her birthday with his reunited family. He recently reconciled with his wife, Laurie, after a separation of several months that might have rearranged some priorities as well as awakened Urlacher as to just how far his celebrity reaches from Chicago.
When Urlacher partied with Paris Hilton in Las Vegas in September, it was in the New York Post the next Monday morning. When Hilton sat in Urlacher’s Soldier Field skybox for the “Monday Night Football” game against the Packers, it was beamed into millions of living rooms.
“My wife knows what happened. I told her, so it really wasn’t that big of a deal,” Urlacher said. “No one knew what was going on except for me.”
Urlacher doesn’t buy the theory that the paparazzi-like attention centered on his personal life affected his play or wore his patience to the point he blasted officials after one game. And he chuckles at the notion that signing for $56 million in June has taken away his edge. “Am I playing better or playing worse now that we’re back together? I don’t know,” Urlacher said.
“I’m happier now, we’re both happy and the baby’s happy and that’s really all that matters.” Urlacher’s lack of big plays commands inspection. His signature play so far this season came on a sack against Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon seven weeks ago, and he has just 1.5 sacks overall. The last turnover Urlacher was involved in came when he recovered a fumble against Carolina on Dec. 22. He hasn’t forced a fumble in almost a year–last Dec. 9 against Miami.
“If you don’t win games, people are going to criticize you, that’s all it comes down to,” Urlacher said. “Maybe I haven’t made as many big plays. … It’s been up and down.”
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