Brian Urlacher's high school football coach Speedy Faith said Urlacher is a 12-year-old boy in the body of an NFL player.
"He really enjoys being out with the kids," Faith said. "You can't explain the way he is when he gets on the football field with a bunch of kids. He's magnetic. The kids are just drawn to him."
After leading the nation in tackles his junior year, Urlacher graduated from UNM in 1999 and was a first-round draft pick by the Chicago Bears and a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker. He led the Bears in tackles his rookie year, becoming the 2000 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and the recipient of the 2000 Brian Piccolo Award. He has since started every game of his professional career and led the NFL in tackles. His jersey is the best-selling replica in the league.
Urlacher returns to Albuquerque every summer for a four-day football camp, which is now in its fifth year.
"I think when he came to school in Albuquerque, there were a lot of people who were good to Brian, and he wants to give back to the community," Faith said. "One of the ways he does that is he takes the things we've taught him and everything he's learned since then and teaches it to younger kids."
Faith said though Urlacher was ornery at times in high school, he was a positive role model for his teammates by avoiding drugs and alcohol.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"He's grown and worked hard and made the most of all the opportunities that have been presented to him," Faith said.
Nathan Vasquez, a senior quarterback from Loving, N.M., said Urlacher is especially inspirational to small-town kids like him.
"I like him because he's from a small town, and you feel like 'I've got a chance,'" Vasquez said. "He's a very good role model."
Vasquez said the camp begins each day with a warm up and stretching period. Then the students break down into age groups to work on offensive drills, defense and conditioning. Vasquez said he would come to the camp even if it had nothing to do with Urlacher.
"You come here and learn even things that my coach couldn't even teach me," Vasquez said. "You learn stuff that you can take back and teach to your teammates."
Vasquez said he had the chance to toss a football around with Urlacher for a while before camp started on Wednesday.
This year's camp was held June 14-17 at University Stadium.
Urlacher did not give interviews during his stay.
"We wish we could have more time, but we just can't," Faith said. "We have more than 200 kids, but he does a great job of going around and talking to a lot of them, and he's just a great role model. I hope, if anything, he shows these kids that's the way to live life - to do things right. And Brian does that."
