Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, in his first year on the ballot. Here is what writers around the country said about Urlacher's selection.
ESPN
"A freakish athlete, Urlacher's ability -- not just to make plays sideline to sideline, but also to drop back in coverage and take away the middle third of the field -- made him invaluable." - Jeff Dickerson
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Pro Football Talk
"Once in the middle of the second level, Urlacher became a natural — and the next great middle linebacker in a line that traces back to Mike Singletary and Dick Butkus." - Mike Florio
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SB Nation
"(Urlacher) was a brutal hitter and a nightmare for opposing running games with the ability to fill a gap quickly and viciously. His thick build and ability to destroy ball carriers were similar to Ray Lewis, or to go back to a past era for his own team, Dick Butkus." - Alex Kishner
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WGN Radio
"With Saturday's voting, Urlacher now becomes just the 28th linebacker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining four other Bears linebackers in that group. 'It's unreal. It's a great thing, a great tradition. I'm happy to carry it on.'" - Adam Hoge
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CBS Sports
"Urlacher was drafted by the Bears with the ninth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and spent his entire career in Chicago, playing 13 seasons for the Bears in mostly dominant fashion." - Will Brinson
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Chicago Tribune
"In coach Lovie Smith's Cover-2 defense, the Bears routinely counted on Urlacher's athleticism to clog running plays at the line of scrimmage and cover passes in the deep middle. Urlacher becomes the 28th Hall of Famer to enter as a Bear — more than any other NFL team — and upholds the franchise's middle-linebacker tradition he took seriously." - David Haugh
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NFL.com
"Like (Terrell) Owens and (Randy) Moss entering the Hall together, it's great to see Urlacher and (Ray) Lewis make it the same year. Another first-time nominee, Urlacher was Lewis' NFC counterpart as the best middle linebacker of the last decade." - Gregg Rosenthal
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