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Albuquerque, NM – Brian Urlacher, the reigning NFL Defensive Player-of-the-Year and five-time Pro Bowl selection from the Chicago Bears, has joined the partnership that owns the arenafootball2 expansion franchise for the Albuquerque, New Mexico market, as announced today by the league.
“This is a great partnership for me,” said Urlacher. “I am very excited to be able to play a part in bringing professional football to my home state of New Mexico. The fans in New Mexico have always supported me, and it is great to be a part of giving those fans a local professional football team to cheer for.”
Entering its eighth season, the af2 has teams in mid-sized markets nationwide, such as Green Bay, Cincinnati and Oklahoma City, while the AFL has teams in the nation’s largest cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. af2 operates under the same Mission Statement and Fans’ Bill of Rights as the Arena Football League, which concluded its 20th season in June. More information about Albuquerque Arena Football can be found at the team’s new Web site, abqarenafootball.com.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brian Urlacher into the Arena Football family,” said af2 President Jerry Kurz. “Brian’s work ethic, professionalism and overall character personifies everything we stand for, and he will no doubt serve as inspiration to our players, coaches and staff.”
As Arena Football’s newest owner, Urlacher joins a number of other high-profile AFL/af2 owners, including former Bears player and coach Mike Ditka (Chicago Rush), NFL Hall-of-Famer John Elway (Colorado Crush), music stars Jon Bon Jovi (Philadelphia Soul) and Tim McGraw (Nashville Kats), as well as former Green Bay Packers player Brian Noble (Green Bay Blizzard).
The yet-to-be-named team also announced the creation of its charitable foundation. Chaired by Urlacher, the foundation made its first donation today: $10,000 to The Lobo Club at the University of New Mexico, specifically to support the university’s football program.
“Brian and I share the same philosophy as it relates to our commitment to the community,” said William Dutton, the arena football franchise’s managing general partner. “Although we can’t guarantee wins on the field, we can certainly guarantee success off the field. This grant to the University of New Mexico is just the beginning of our community service efforts.”
The Lobo Club is the non-profit branch of the University of New Mexico Athletics Department, which is responsible for raising funds for athletic scholarships. Through their support, Lobo Club donors invest in the futures of the university’s student-athletes by helping supply them with the tools necessary to be successful both in the classroom and in athletic competition.
“Brian Urlacher made a tremendous impact as a member of the Lobos football program, and that impact continues today thanks to his arena football team’s $10,000 donation to the University of New Mexico,” said acting UNM president, David Harris. “On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and alumni, we wish to thank Brian and his partners for their generosity and support and look forward to the team’s first season.”
Moving forward, the team will begin exploring its options relative to where it will play. “We understand that the metro Albuquerque area may have two venues that could be viable options for us,” said Dutton. “It is our intention to vet out those opportunities to determine the best option for our franchise and fans. Upon conclusion of that process, we will then be in a position to announce when and where the team will play.”
Now in his seventh season as middle linebacker for the Bears, the 6’4”, 258-pound Urlacher’s roots in New Mexico run deep. A high school standout, Urlacher teamed with his younger brother Casey to lead Lovington High School to a perfect 14-0 record and the Class 3-A state football championship in 1995. The rural New Mexico school went on to retire Urlacher’s jersey number “11” in 2001.
He then went on to star at the University of New Mexico where his versatility enabled him to play on both sides of the ball, primarily as free safety and linebacker but also as wide receiver. He even returned punts and kickoffs. As a junior he led the nation in tackles and then earned first team All-American honors as a senior in 1999. That year, he was also named All-Mountain Conference Player-of-the-Year, played in the Senior Bowl where he earned MVP honors, was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and even got some Heisman Trophy consideration. The following year, Urlacher was inducted into the University of New Mexico Athletic Hall of Honor.
The af2 plays a 16-game schedule, half of which are at home. Games are played in an indoor arena on a 50-yard field and feature rebound nets at the end zones and padded dasher boards lining the playing surface, providing for high scoring, highly entertaining games. In addition to the action on the field, it is the affordability of tickets and the family-friendly game atmosphere that is credited with making Arena Football the fastest growing sports league in America.
“This is a great partnership for me,” said Urlacher. “I am very excited to be able to play a part in bringing professional football to my home state of New Mexico. The fans in New Mexico have always supported me, and it is great to be a part of giving those fans a local professional football team to cheer for.”
Entering its eighth season, the af2 has teams in mid-sized markets nationwide, such as Green Bay, Cincinnati and Oklahoma City, while the AFL has teams in the nation’s largest cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. af2 operates under the same Mission Statement and Fans’ Bill of Rights as the Arena Football League, which concluded its 20th season in June. More information about Albuquerque Arena Football can be found at the team’s new Web site, abqarenafootball.com.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brian Urlacher into the Arena Football family,” said af2 President Jerry Kurz. “Brian’s work ethic, professionalism and overall character personifies everything we stand for, and he will no doubt serve as inspiration to our players, coaches and staff.”
As Arena Football’s newest owner, Urlacher joins a number of other high-profile AFL/af2 owners, including former Bears player and coach Mike Ditka (Chicago Rush), NFL Hall-of-Famer John Elway (Colorado Crush), music stars Jon Bon Jovi (Philadelphia Soul) and Tim McGraw (Nashville Kats), as well as former Green Bay Packers player Brian Noble (Green Bay Blizzard).
The yet-to-be-named team also announced the creation of its charitable foundation. Chaired by Urlacher, the foundation made its first donation today: $10,000 to The Lobo Club at the University of New Mexico, specifically to support the university’s football program.
“Brian and I share the same philosophy as it relates to our commitment to the community,” said William Dutton, the arena football franchise’s managing general partner. “Although we can’t guarantee wins on the field, we can certainly guarantee success off the field. This grant to the University of New Mexico is just the beginning of our community service efforts.”
The Lobo Club is the non-profit branch of the University of New Mexico Athletics Department, which is responsible for raising funds for athletic scholarships. Through their support, Lobo Club donors invest in the futures of the university’s student-athletes by helping supply them with the tools necessary to be successful both in the classroom and in athletic competition.
“Brian Urlacher made a tremendous impact as a member of the Lobos football program, and that impact continues today thanks to his arena football team’s $10,000 donation to the University of New Mexico,” said acting UNM president, David Harris. “On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and alumni, we wish to thank Brian and his partners for their generosity and support and look forward to the team’s first season.”
Moving forward, the team will begin exploring its options relative to where it will play. “We understand that the metro Albuquerque area may have two venues that could be viable options for us,” said Dutton. “It is our intention to vet out those opportunities to determine the best option for our franchise and fans. Upon conclusion of that process, we will then be in a position to announce when and where the team will play.”
Now in his seventh season as middle linebacker for the Bears, the 6’4”, 258-pound Urlacher’s roots in New Mexico run deep. A high school standout, Urlacher teamed with his younger brother Casey to lead Lovington High School to a perfect 14-0 record and the Class 3-A state football championship in 1995. The rural New Mexico school went on to retire Urlacher’s jersey number “11” in 2001.
He then went on to star at the University of New Mexico where his versatility enabled him to play on both sides of the ball, primarily as free safety and linebacker but also as wide receiver. He even returned punts and kickoffs. As a junior he led the nation in tackles and then earned first team All-American honors as a senior in 1999. That year, he was also named All-Mountain Conference Player-of-the-Year, played in the Senior Bowl where he earned MVP honors, was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and even got some Heisman Trophy consideration. The following year, Urlacher was inducted into the University of New Mexico Athletic Hall of Honor.
The af2 plays a 16-game schedule, half of which are at home. Games are played in an indoor arena on a 50-yard field and feature rebound nets at the end zones and padded dasher boards lining the playing surface, providing for high scoring, highly entertaining games. In addition to the action on the field, it is the affordability of tickets and the family-friendly game atmosphere that is credited with making Arena Football the fastest growing sports league in America.