This former Chicago Bears player is a semifinalist for the Football Hall of Fame

AP Foto/Nam Y. Huh

27 semifinalists have been listed for the class of 2018 Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. It’s no surprise that one of the Chicago’s greatest linebackers of all-time has made the list during his first year of eligibility.

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Linebacker Brian Urlacher played 13 seasons for the Bears, and was instrumental in leading the team to the Super Bowl in the 2006-07 season. While the team didn’t get a ring that year, his accomplishments otherwise cannot be understated.

He won Rookie of the Year his first season in 2000 after being drafted from the University of New Mexico, where his #44 has since been retired. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and played in eight Pro Bowls. His last season was in 2012.

Not only was he a great player but he’s popular among fans and you can still see plenty of #54 jerseys sported around the city.

If elected to the Hall of Fame, Urlacher will join other luminary Bears such as Richard Dent, Dick Butkis, Gale Sayers, Sid Luckman, and of course, Walter Payton.

Up to five players are chosen every year to join the Hall of Fame in a multi-tiered nomination and voting process. The other semifinalists in for the Hall of Fame are:

  • Steve Atwater
  • Ronde Barber
  • Tony Boselli
  • Isaac Bruce
  • LeRoy Butler
  • Don Coryell
  • Roger Craig
  • Brian Dawkins
  • Alan Faneca
  • Torry Holt
  • Steve Hutchinson
  • Joe Jacoby
  • Edgerrin James
  • Jimmy Johnson
  • Ty Law
  • Ray Lewis
  • John Lynch
  • Kevin Mawae
  • Karl Mecklenburg
  • Randy Moss
  • Leslie O’Neal
  • Terrell Owens
  • Simeon Rice
  • Richard Seymour
  • Everson Walls
  • Hines Ward

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The list will be cut to 15 finalists in January with final voting taking place on February 3rd, the day before the next Super Bowl. Until then, you can pay your respect to the man with a hat tip to any of the hundreds of hair restoration billboards that line Chicago’s highways.

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