Brian Urlacher Mother Dies: Chicago Bear to Return at Weekend
Brian Urlacher made his return to practice with the Chicago Bears on Thursday, after being forced to leave his team to handle matters following his mother’s unexpected death.
Close to three hours after Chicago Bears’ middle linebacker Brian Urlacher was named the NFC’s defensive player of the week on Wednesday, he was forced to deal with the news of his mother passing away.
“My mother, Lavoyda, unexpectedly passed away Monday at her home in Texas,” Urlacher said in the statement. “My first priority right now is to be with my family as we mourn her loss and make the arrangements to lay her to rest. This is a very difficult and emotional time for us, and I sincerely ask that you respect our privacy.”
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Although Urlacher was cleared to miss the rest of the week, The Chicago Tribune reported that the linebacker would play on Sunday against New Orleans.
Urlacher’s teammates have been supportive to him throughout the process, confirming that they would respect his privacy.
“He’s the heart and soul of this organization, and we all know he’s going through a tough time right now, but we’re going to respect his privacy,” quarterback Jay Cutler said, according to The Sun Times. “When he gets back, we’re here for him.”
Isreal Idonije, Bears; defensive end, said he understood the importance of family and why Urlacher had to leave.
“Our hearts are with him,” defensive end Idonije said. “It’s one of those times that you can’t imagine, and 100 percent of our support is with him. Family and life comes first.”
Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears’ coach, suggested that a return to football may be exactly what Urlacher needs to recover from his 51-year-old mother’s unfortunate death.
“I can’t tell you what Brian is going through right now,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said, according to The Chicago Tribune. “I know sometimes when you’re going through tough times, the best thing for you to do is to get back to something that you like doing, and football is very important to Brian. He has a big support group here, so I know he’s anxious to get back with his teammates. Again, I don’t think there’s a book on how you go through it. You just kind of take it one day at a time, which we’ll do.”
