The Chicago Bears have struggled over the past couple of decades, but they’ve had some impactful players along the way. None bigger than linebacker Brian Urlacher and return specialist Devin Hester, who were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and 2024, respectively.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder unveiled their NFL All Quarter Century team, which includes a slew of Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers and some of the most impactful players in the game. There were two Bears players who made the cut, and they’re two of the franchise’s most recent Hall of Fame inductees: Linebacker Brian Urlacher and return specialist Devin Hester.
Urlacher is the latest in a long line of Hall of Fame linebackers for the Bears, where he established himself as an incredibly athletic and gifted player in the NFL. He spent all 13 seasons with Chicago, and he’s the franchise’s all-time leader in solo tackles (1,040). Urlacher was named first-team All Pro four times and was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times. He also earned Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000) and Defensive Player of the Year (2005) honors. Urlacher was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
“The Urlacher-led Bears had the third-best defense in terms of EPA per play from 2001 to ’12,” wrote Walder. “His 22 career interceptions are the second most by any linebacker in the past 25 years, behind only Lewis’ 26. Urlacher ranks fourth among all players in plus-EPA per game at minus-3.59, too.”
Hester is widely considered the greatest return specialist in NFL history as he forever changed how the game was played as a returner. Hester’s a three-time first-team All Pro and four-time Pro Bowler who boasts an impressive resume. He has more punt returns than anyone in NFL history with 14, his 20 total non-offensive touchdowns are also the most in league history, and he has the highest average yards per punt return among those with at least 300 returns in NFL history.
“Though Hester is remembered for scoring on the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI, he was actually more prolific as a punt returner,” wrote Walder. “Fourteen of his return touchdowns came off punts; no other player recorded more than four in that same span. In 2024, he became the first return specialist to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
Urlacher and Hester played together in Chicago for seven years (2006-12), where they led a 2006 team that played in the franchise’s last Super Bowl, which they lost to the Indianapolis Colts. Still, Urlacher and Hester both left a lasting impact on the NFL’s most storied franchise.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears’ Devin Hester, Brian Urlacher named to NFL All Quarter Century team
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
