Brian Urlacher wants to see the Bears do well, just not any better than he did as a linebacker in Chicago.
"I'm going for them," the recently-retired Urlacher said on the Dave Dameshek Football Program. "A lot of my friends are still on the team. A lot of my good friends — guys I played with for 10, 11 years — so I'm still rooting for them. I hope they do well. They better not win the championship without me, 'cause then I'll be really pissed."
Urlacher spent his entire 13-year career with Chicago and was never able to raise the Lombardi Trophy. The closest the 34-year-old came was during the 2006 season when the Bears lost to Peyton Manning and the Colts, 29-17.
"Like I said, I've got a lot of friends on the team, but I don't want them to win the Super Bowl without me," Urlacher reiterated, underscoring that he'd be crushed if the Bears made the leap so soon after his exit.
Urlacher, drafted ninth overall in the 2000 NFL draft, retired from the Bears in May. A 6-foot-4, 258-pound linebacker, Urlacher was one of the most feared defensive players of his era, racking up 1,037 tackles, 41.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, and 22 interceptions. He was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 and was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2005.
While the five-time All-Pro made it clear it would hurt to see his old team win it all, he’s not about to un-retire to chase a championship if they appear poised for a title run.
"There's nothing that could bring me back," he said.
