Editor,
In this age of the ego and money-driven sports world, we at UNM have witnessed the unlikely story of Brian Urlacher.
The kid from a small town in New Mexico who was considered too small by many and only received one Division I scholarship offer has gone on to be one of UNM's all-time great football players and, barring injury, will leave the NFL with the same distinction.
The man is an inspiration for anyone who has watched him play. His enjoyment of the game rather than the promise of wealth and fame drives him to succeed.
It is time for the University administration to honor his achievements by retiring his number, 44.
Take the lead on this UNM and let's retire his number before he becomes a five-time Pro Bowl selection and candidate for the NFL Hall of Fame.
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Let's not wait until it considered an afterthought. His hard work and dedication to improvement both on the field and in the classroom coupled with his mind-numbing athletic performances should be enough to garner this kind of reward.
If not, I ask what it would take for an athlete to earn such an honor, and what kind of message does ignoring Urlacher send to future student athletes at UNM?
This may be a bit much for me to ask, but sometimes I dream of UNM as a place that has a bit of foresight. Yes, even when it comes to an issue as simple as honoring a fine example of a student athlete and human being.
Brain Urlacher has represented the University of New Mexico extremely well and has earned the honor of having his number retired.
Michael Powell,
Undergraduate student
