Urlacher Calls It Quits After 13 Seasons

Brian Urlacher went out on his own terms and he went out wearing just one jersey. Those are two things that don't happen in most retirements. So often athletes limp to the finish line, their careers spiraling into a mess and relationships with former teams disintegrating by the day. Urlacher seemed to be headed down that path after the Chicago Bears released him, but after contemplating the future, the future Hall of Famer decided that 13 years was enough and announced his retirement today over Twitter.

Urlacher's statistics, awards and accolades speak for themselves. He led the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006 before falling to the Indianapolis Colts and he was the leader of one of the NFL's best defenses for years. In his rookie season in 2000 he had a career-high in sacks with eight and he also intercepted two passes. He also had a fumble recovery and 101 tackles, one of two seasons he would pass the century mark.

After 13 seasons of football Urlacher finishes with 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries and 1,052 tackles. Remarkably, he stayed healthy for much of his career excluding the 2009 season in which he missed basically the entire year. He also missed four games last year and seven in 2004, but he played in every game for 10 seasons. In the game of football that consistency is something to be proud of.

Urlacher won the 2000 Defensive Rookie of the Year award and then won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2005. He was named to eight Pro Bowls and was a First Team All-Pro four different times. At age 34 there is no doubt that he could probably give a few more decent years to a franchise, but as he said in his retirement statement, he may not be able to give the same performance and passion that he has grown accustomed to.

So with retirement comes questions about legacy. For Urlacher, his next stop is Canton, Ohio. Whether the Hall calls in five years or in 10 years, there is no doubt that he will be the next Bear to enter. He joins a decorated history of great defense in Chicago and his name will be mentioned in the same breath as players like Butkus and Singletary. That's how good he was. He came into the league and made himself a star and he left when we still thought of him as a present-day star.

Again, there's something to be said for the timing of Urlacher's announcement. In sports, we are so used to players like Brett Favre, Allen Iverson and even Michael Jordan not knowing when it's time. Every time a player retires there is a good chance of a "comeback" and that usually means altering a legacy. Not Urlacher. He leaves the game while he is still playing well and our vision of him is not skewed by declining production, injuries or age. He is the same Brian Urlacher as he was ten years ago.

For the Bears it's the start of a new era. They are without the heart and soul of their defense and that calls for guys like Lance Briggs to step up. Urlacher leaves big shoes to fill as players like him don't come around to often. Then again, stars like him don't leave like he did too often either.