Brian Urlacher - College Career

College Career

Urlacher enrolled at the University of New Mexico, majored in criminology, and played for the New Mexico Lobos football team. The Lobos' head coach, Dennis Franchione, converted Urlacher to linebacker, but often left him on the sidelines in favor of more experienced players. The team finished with winning records during Urlacher's first two years and even made a trip to the 1997 Insight.com Bowl. The team's success prompted Franchione to leave New Mexico in favor of Texas Christian University. His departure prompted the school to hire Rocky Long, a former coach at UCLA.

Urlacher flourished under Long's tenure. Urlacher not only received more playing time, but also played a more versatile role on both offense and defense. Long converted Urlacher into a "Lobo-Back", a cross between a linebacker and free safety, and placed him in a 3-3-5 defense scheme. He spent significant time training with the team's defensive coordinator, Bronco Mendenhall, who helped Urlacher refine his skills as a defensive back. Long also used Urlacher as a return specialist and wide receiver throughout his final two years with the Lobos. Despite Long's extensive changes to the team's roster, formations, and work ethic, the Lobos' performance declined. However, Urlacher became one of the team's most productive players during this time. He finished his career with 442 tackles, three interceptions, 11 sacks and 11 forced fumbles. Outside of defense, he caught six touchdown passes, and returned five kicks for touchdowns.

After the 1999 season, he was one of the finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, and finished twelfth on the Heisman Trophy ballot. Urlacher received All-American honors from Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America, and the Associated Press. He played his final collegiate game at the 2000 Senior Bowl, where he was one of the game's top players. Urlacher led the nation with 178 tackles during his junior year, and also set a school record for most tackles in a single season. He finished with the third most career tackles in the University of New Mexico's history. The school has honored Urlacher on several occasions. They awarded him with the Male Athlete of the Year Award in 2000, and held a special halftime ceremony to honor his success in 2006. Urlacher was also the first person to be inducted into the University of New Mexico's Football Wall of Fame.