Getty In 2018, Brian Urlacher was honored with a Ring of Excellence ceremony at Soldier Field.
One of the most prominent linebackers of the 2000s, Brian Urlacher, is not happy that a former Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins star isn’t in the Hall of Fame.
Urlacher needs little introduction as a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro player. However, his passion for the situation at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and NFL legend Zach Thomas may need context.
During his June 15 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the Hall of Fame came up. For Urlacher, one of the hall’s most egregious omissions is Thomas, who spent the majority of his career with Miami before a “homecoming” with the Cowboys in 2008, his final season in the league.
“Guys who never played the game get to vote,” Urlacher said. “How the f*** is Zach Thomas not in the Hall of Fame? Put his stats up with mine, Ray [Lewis], any other linebacker who’s either close to the Hall of Fame or been in the Hall of Fame. He’s right there with us if not better. … Every year I advocate for him to get in, but they don’t put him in and I don’t understand it.”
“Guys who never played the game get to vote.. how the fuck is Zach Thomas not in the Hall of Fame” ~@BUrlacher54
Urlacher was enshrined in 2018, and Thomas became a finalist for the first time in the voting for the 2022 class.
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Thomas Concluded Career With Cowboys
The Dolphins are typically the first team fans think of when Thomas is mentioned — and understandably so. The first 12 years of his career were spent in Miami, but his homecoming with the Cowboys was subject to major fanfare.
Thomas attended Pampa High School in the Texas Panhandle before becoming a local legend at Texas Tech. In Miami, which drafted him in the fifth round, Thomas amassed five first-team All-Pro nods and six Pro Bowls.
In 2008, Thomas signed to Dallas for his final season. While he was switching into a new system and turning 35 years old, he showed why he was a member of the 2000s All-Decade team. He notched 65 solo tackles, a sack and three passes defended as a Cowboy starter. It wasn’t on the level of his All-Pro seasons, but the linebacker was able to play for his home-state team and put together a solid season as a sendoff.
Comparing Thomas to Urlacher & Lewis
An interesting part of Urlacher’s quote is his statement that Thomas has a comparable, if not better, resume than the Bears legend or Baltimore Ravens icon Ray Lewis. A look at the accolades shows that Urlacher isn’t blowing smoke.
It’s difficult to directly compare the numbers of the three players — especially the volume numbers — because they played different lengths of time. However, Thomas has five All-Pro selections to Urlacher’s four, while Lewis has seven total selections.
In terms of individual stats, Thomas equaled Lewis and Urlacher on takeaways. Lewis had 22 interceptions and 19 forced fumbles in 17 seasons, Urlacher has 22 INTs and 11 FFs in 13 seasons, and Thomas has 17 interceptions and 16 forced fumbles in 13 seasons.
Thomas never led the league in solo tackles, but Lewis did so three times and Urlacher did so once. However, the former Cowboys star did lead the league twice in combined tackles.
The short of all these stats and accolades? Urlacher has a point, and Thomas has a resume that hangs with his colleagues already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.