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Super Bowl: Brian Urlacher at Media Day
Former Lobo Brian Urlacher took center stage at Super Bowl XLI Media Day in Miami Tuesday. He fielded questions from hundreds of reporters for an hour, with the queries ranging from serious to absurd.
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Only watch one NFL game a year? Can't figure out what's so special about Brian Urlacher? Here's your Super Bowl XLI cheat sheet, catching you up on all things Urlacher:
Full name: Brian Keith Urlacher
Nicknames: Monster of the Midway; Url
Team: Chicago Bears, with the team's defense known as the Monsters of the Midway.
Number: 54 (Wore No. 44 at the University of New Mexico; No. 11 at Lovington High)
Position: Middle linebacker, which means he plays in the middle of the Bears defense.
Size: He's big - 6-foot-4, 258 pounds.
Born: May 25, 1978, in Pasco, Wash.
Parents: Brad and Lavoyda Urlacher, whose divorce in late 1980s prompted Lavoyda to move the family to New Mexico.
Marital status: Divorced
Children: Two daughters, Pamela and Riley; son, Kennedy.
New Mexico ties: Raised in Lovington and led the Wildcats to a 1995 Class 3A state championship. . . . Played at UNM from 1996-99, winning more national awards for his performance on defense than any other player in school history.
Why he's a star, Part I: Urlacher is freakishly fast for his size and tackles everyone in his path. He is also athletic enough to intercept passes. Urlacher is like a quarterback on defense, leading one of the NFL's most menacing attacks. Chicago's defense also makes up for the play of its very erratic quarterback and is a major reason the Bears reached Super Bowl XLI.
Why he's a star, Part II: The Chicago Bears have a rich history of star middle linebackers - Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary - and their fans will shower you with sports' version of unconditional love if you can thrive at the position. Urlacher fits the bill as a hero in Chicago.
Made for TV: Urlacher has been a fixture in Nike commercials since he made it to the NFL in 2000. He has also appeared in commercials for Vitamin Water, Campbell's Chunky Soup and McDonald's, among others.
Biggest vices: Urlacher has had a rocky personal life, divorcing his wife, Laurie, the mother of his daughters. He made tabloid headlines by briefly dating Paris Hilton after the divorce. Urlacher was also embroiled in a custody battle with former stripper Tyna Robertson over their son, Kennedy. The miscues, however, don't seem to have hurt his image among fans.
Why we still love him: Most New Mexicans are Urlacher disciples because he always speaks highly of the state and UNM. He has also given more than $1 million worth of donations to Lovington High and UNM. He returns to Lovington for a charity basketball game and to UNM to run a football camp every summer. Urlacher is also part owner of a car dealership in Lovington.


