REDLINE RADIO EP #54: Brian Urlacher Joins The Boys. Which Athlete Defined Your Formative Sports Fan Years?

Brian Urlacher

First things first, a HUGE thank you to Brian Urlacher coming on the show last night. It was surreal to answer a phone call and hear Brian Urlacher’s voice on the other end of the line. Urlacher jumps on the podcast at the 48:00 mark and spends almost 45 minutes talking glory days Bears football, the current team, and just getting peppered with questions from the Redline Radio guys. He also shares an incredible story about the picture showed in the featured image of this blog.

Urlacher’s trainer and good friend, Chip Smith, was walking into a restaurant one day and was approached by a homeless man named Travis looking for a little help. Instead of giving him pocket change or simply brushing him off, Chip invited Travis to eat with him. Travis has been homeless for about 5 years. Travis told Chip his life story which included service time with the Coast Guard and his talent and passion for painting. Chip just decided right then and there to lend a helping hand to a man in need. What has transpired since has been incredible. Chip found Travis a place to stay temporarily, and is looking to help Travis get a more permanent residence, he’s brought him through his training facility and introduced him to former athletes, and he’s made sure he’s had painting supplies to do what he does best.

Urlacher and his wife have decided to help out Travis and Chip by selling his art and hoping this leads to him getting his feet under him permanently. It’s wonderful to hear that our favorite athlete on the field is also doing important things to help people off the field in his retirement. I’ll be posting links on twitter where you can find out more on Travis and see more of his art. You’ll be able to donate via https://www.boostmeup.org/the-travis-project  and while the Urlacher portraits are sold out they may become available again so please check online.

Everyone our age grew up on Urlacher. If you’re reading this blog and listening to the podcast I am assuming you watched Urlacher as a young kid all the way up until he retired when you were in your 20s. THAT is the best time as a sports fan and the best time to have an athlete like Urlacher to follow. You don’t have any real responsibilities at that time in your life and there’s very little you care about more than your teams. And Urlacher was THAT dude. The guy the entire city loved. The jersey every kid had. This is Chicago. We are Linebacker, USA and we got to watch one of the best to ever do it in the prime of our youth.

It got me to thinking…who else is in that stratosphere from that era. The answer is really…nobody. Maybe Sosa, maybe Kerry Wood, if you’re a White Sox fan I guess Buerhle or Konerko could be adored like that, but Chicago is a Bears town first and foremost and always will be. Urlacher is the King of his era in Chicago sports and I can’t think of anyone else I’d have on a Mount Rushmore with him. I’d be interested to see who you guys have in that class if you’re maybe slightly older or slightly younger. Who is your favorite athlete from when you were ages like 10 to 18. Leave it in the comments or hit up the RLR guys on twitter.

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