Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher Talks Free Speech, Football, and Defending American Values

cancelling is an affront to. You know, the fact that people are canceled because they say they

speak their mind and then they're canceled, you know, that's so un-American. And I see how that's what that can be a real fear for anyone. You're just showing up because you're a really awesome football player and then you happen to say some of that's on your mind and then people want to shut you down and it just isn't American. What does that mean? What does that mean? What is it mean? The media, the social media, who cares? I'm not trying to impress those people and if you

don't like me and don't want to listen to me or talk to me or follow me, I don't care. You know,

“I don't think it's that big, yeah, I thought it was great because he goes, what does cancelling mean?”

Are you going to disappear me? No, it's just, you know, certain, certain group people doesn't like you, so what? That's the way it is these days. Yeah, I think it's, I think you're right, it's actually sometimes you allow yourself to be scared to be scared to be scared. Americans are capable of achieving extraordinary things when they have the freedom and opportunity to do so. This is American potential.

Welcome to American Central Podcasts. I'm your host David From. We're down here in Springfield, Illinois celebrating America's 250th birthday. And Abraham Lincoln's birthday. So it's just a great time of celebration. We're having a great event with hundreds of folks to listen to some great speakers, talk about defending our freedoms, the freedoms that we're guaranteed by the declaration. And when we're talking about defending our

freedoms, we were really special guests that I'm really excited to talk to. He played for 13 years with Chicago Bears as a linebacker was on the all decade team for the 2000s, was a 2005 defensive player of the year. And recently, it was elected to the Hall of Fame. You'd all know him. It's a brighter lacquer. One of the great bears of all time. One of the great defenders. So who better to talk about defending our freedoms and defending the the constitutionally guaranteed rights

enshrined for our nation? So Brian, welcome. Thank you so much for joining us.

“Good thing with her. Thank you. Appreciate it. I'm going to say defending a lot. I think I like that.”

Yes. Well, unfortunately, in our society, a lot of stuff needs a defending. I mean, there's, there's a, you know, the new action that that some of the society's been going and what parts of our society are doing is of concern and a lot of things that's concerned right now. I mean, when we read our founding documents and what our founders talked about, it's pretty, there's wonderful things in there. And I think, they, they've been eroded,

from, unfortunately, so we're, you know, we've launched this campaign called the one small step campaign, asking people to step up and stand up for our rights to get involved. Because when we all

get involved and get off the couch, it makes a difference. It does. The problem is now everyone wants to

cancel you. If you, if you do speak up from one side or what I assume, assume to be that they're right side, then you're, you know, people call you out. They, they want to drag you down. But if you speak the other way, there's no, there's no consequences. You know, it's just, it's very one side, with media, stuff like that. I already don't care what people think, when I say what I think, it's, it's not an issue to me, but a lot of people are scared to say what they think or defend what

they think is right. So, you, so you grew up in New Mexico, right? I did grow up in New Mexico, so yes. What have you, I, I go to New Mexico a lot, and it's a beautiful state. You're right, it isn't parts why I grew up is not beautiful. Oh, what part was, if you like dirt, humble weeds, wind and oil rigs, you're in a love right grew up. What part was it to sell these? Yeah, right by Texas down there. It's not very beautiful down there. Yeah. Got it. That's true.

Yeah, it's true. I know. You go to America. If you get to Albuquerque, you know, above,

amazing state, beautiful. Yeah. And that's where, that's where we'll support place,

population comes from in our state. Where I live is very conservative. I grew up, but not a lot of population. Yeah. Well, so how did, you know, obviously football is a huge part of your life. Yes. But how did you, like growing up, you know, when did you start to kind of think like, hey, I want to make my voice heard, I want to get involved a little bit more. Honestly, when I played, none of the stuff that it is being talked about right now really mattered,

you know, that the things that have become so, um, to the forefront the last, what, eight years maybe, for some reason, a 2016 after somebody was elected, um, things got really a lot more stressful.

“So maybe, to 2019, 2020, so when I really thought that, hey, maybe you should start saying something”

or, um, voice in your opinion, because everyone else seems to have an opinion. So I want to have voice yours. Um, it was opposite of most of the people's opinion, um, but I wouldn't do right about that. So, on an NFL team, like you're a locker room. I mean, I was kind of envy the, it's talked about it like a brotherhood, the kind of a family atmosphere, a bunch of brothers together. But I mean, there's got to be a lot of personal conversation and, you know, you get to know

each other's friends. And, but I obviously politics, we all know if you go to, you go to like, you know, thanksgiving dinner and you're talking with politics and nobody wants to hear these days, yeah. So I imagine a locker room is kind of a similar dynamic, like how did that play out for you?

I never talked about politics where we got mad. I didn't know what she was doing with camera. I didn't care.

And then back in, you know, when I played, it was never an issue, no one cared. Um, and then it wasn't an issue until like I said, 2016. And then, you know, a lot of things start taking place, um, people were doing things on the field before the game, kneeling or whatever for the anthem, out at a hard time dealing with that, um, with people who didn't stand for the anthem. Um, so I've definitely played it the right time, because I would have a really hard time probably getting putting up with some of the things that are

accepted today. Yeah. Um, yeah. Luckily, I played in the time where it didn't. It wasn't the forefront like it is now. Do you ever hear from folks who were like minded? You know, might might have a little more conservative worldview who are currently in the league or just were recently

“and like, is there, are there pressures? Well, I think the pressure is to be quiet. You know, I think”

if you, if you're on one side, it's okay. Because you see that if I'll push in certain things, you see the media pushing certain things. And then, if you're against those things, you're not, you're maybe not as popular as they want you. I mean, they're not going to cover you as much. I know some guys are conservative. They just be quite, they're quite about it. There's, I think there's more,

it's like a slight, tell them majority. We always talk about the silent majority or not. We,

but, uh, I hear that a lot. And I think that's a lot more at the forefront than NFL. Yeah. Silence than anything else. So I find it interesting. I, I know you're your brother, Casey. Yeah. Helped was a mayor. He was a mayor of Matalusville. Yeah. I want to say like 14 years now. Yes, he's still mayor because I remember everyone in front of the state legislature also. Yes. So, so he's obviously active in politics, still, you know, doing it. And then, you know, now you've,

you've kind of been, you know, started to speak out a little bit. And how was there something in your family that made you guys kind of pushing that direction or did he just get a bug or,

“oh, you know, I think what happened within me, one of the reasons, there's five hundred”

and fifty people who live in Matalusville. It's not beautiful. It's not beautiful. It's not beautiful. It's why I used to live when I lived here. Uh, it's a great place to live. But one of the residents was kind of asking what you thought about, maybe jumping in the race. He was like, I'll try it and you know, pulling in, you know, the residents love them. And he just kept every year. It was, you know, both, or every two years, I think they run for it. Uh, I don't know what pushing to do. I think he,

he's a people person. He very interactive with the residents, which is good. Uh, you know, our opposite in that aspect. He likes to hang out and do things with people who doesn't know, I guess. I'm opposite. But he, uh, enjoy. I think it does a good job. There's a lot of good things that has been the mayor. So as you look at the country right now, you know, we talked about like the, the freedoms that we've enjoyed made America the greatest nation in the world, really in history.

Um, are there things that you're excited about? And there are there are some things that that concern you because I think that that's one of the reasons to certainly get involved. There's a lot of things to concern about. There's more things to excite me. Yeah. There's the way the things are going

“right now. I think the immigration number one, the borders being secured. That was a big deal.”

Uh, we were getting over ran. You know, for four years, there are borders just got over ran. So to see some security with the negative deportation now, you have, you know, we have more people going out the coming in now, which I think is a great thing for it. It's going to have to be that way or you won't get back to where we were before. But am I correct that that you've been to the border? Number two. I have the border twice. I live in Arizona. The borders three hours from my house.

So I would, I would down there a couple of times. This is when they were the overflows happening. So I have them back since it's been secure. I would love to go back now and talk to some of those things. Did you do a UMA? I went to the UMA. Yeah. You exactly. So we did a show with Chief Clam. I think we did it. We did it a few months ago in UMA. And we had to be so different. And so we talked to the mayor. We talked to, you know, a county official. We talked to a farmer.

Big farmer has, you know, it's a field to go right up here. The culture was really affected by that. Big time. Yeah. Big time. And it was shocking to me. And you'll know this. That how the ripple effect of that impact. It was, it was terrible. It wasn't bad. It's a very welcoming community. They're dependent upon illegal immigration for the business. Yes. But they, you know, so it's night and day. They are like, oh, you know,

the fact that President Trump just stood up and said, Hey, we're going to force our laws and have practically done it has made an enormous difference. Well, the other guy said you couldn't do it, but just he couldn't do it by himself. Remember? Right. So we have to have you know, as to go through saying it, that was wrong. Obviously, because President Trump did it one day.

It's first day at office, he signed a executive order to close it or do whatever he did to shut it down.

And we've been a negative since every sense. So that's exciting for me. A lot of things he's done excite me. There's a lot of things still concern me with the way, you know, the, some of the cities are ran with just, my kids are older now. I think goodness. Yeah. They're, yeah, they're, my youngest is 20. So they're older. They got through college without being too brainwashed, which is just a good thing. Same here. It is in accomplishment. It really is. I got my youngest, I was like the one college,

but I feel like he's made it through the hard years where they're trying to, to brainwash him a little bit. But he's, I've managed to get three of them through with, without getting to brainwash them. But there are some things that concern me. I just don't understand how you can want how you think it's fair for a male to play against women and women's sports. And they're still pushing that really hard that it's okay. I'm sure I'm going to bring kids one day to, you know,

I don't want that to be an issue when I'm watching my, my, my, my grandkids play against

But we're getting, we're getting the right direction right now. The we're finally getting to fix a little bit. It's going to take time. Well, I think one of the things that I heard you say a little earlier, you know, really goes back to the, our founding documents about free speech, you know,

“and then like, and that that's what cancelling is an affront to, you know, the fact that”

people are canceled because they say they speak their mind and then they're canceled, you know, that, that's so un-American. And I, I see that that could be a real fear for anyone, I mean, you're just showing up because you're a really awesome football player. And then you happen to say some of that's on your mind and then people want to shut you down and it just isn't America. But I saw, I saw something like this again, but what does cancel mean? No, who cancelling to you?

What does that mean? What does that mean? What does it mean? The media, the social media, who cares? I'm not trying to impress those people anyway. If you don't like me and don't want to listen, listen to me or talk to me or follow me, I don't care. You know, I don't think it's that big like, yeah, I thought it was great. He goes, what does cancel mean? Are you going to disappear me? No, it's just, you don't, certain certain group of people doesn't like you. So what? That's the

way it is these days. Yeah, I think it's, I think you're right. It's actually sometimes you loud ourselves to be scared to be scared to be scared. Yeah. There's no reason to be scared. You know,

“I think, like I said earlier, it's okay to feel one way and express the publicly, but if you”

feel another way, it's not okay. It's not as popular to express, it's getting easier to express it. Now, more people are doing it, but other being, I'm sorry, less scared to be public about it. Well, I think that President Trump's election again was a real blow to that movement of canceling folks. And then, I mean, Elon Musk buying acts is a huge development that there's a really, a truly free avenue for people to, yeah, that, that isn't going to cancel people. Well,

everyone wants free speech until they say something that's going to get them in trouble or they're going to, you know, it's just, but what is free speech anymore, that there's so many ways that they, they, they, they, they, they, they, you know, like the Don Lemon thing. Yeah, that's not free speech, you're, you're interrupting a church service. That's illegal. You can't do that. There's just so many of the, well, I'm going to protect it by the first amendment.

You are to some point, but you can't, you can't go in there and then erupt the church gathering.

Right. Yeah, I mean, I think one of the things we always talk about with freedom speech is

it's not freedom to hear the speech that you like. It's for people to say what they want. And, you know, free speech is about, you know, having to listen to things you don't like to hear, you know, and that, that's true for conservatives. Like I get very concerned. Very, very true.

“That's what I do. I mean, I get very concerned when even conservatives are like, well,”

we need to stop that speech. It's like, no, we need more speech. And, you know, let's win the arguments because we make better arguments. Tarsic curcs view, right? Let them talk. Let them basically prove themselves wrong because they talk, if they keep talking, their arguments are just, they get, they fall on no one's here. They just, they're, they're, they're their arguments because they don't have, make any sense.

Most arguments that the left side is trying to make, do not make any sense because they have no

ground to stand on. The boy's versus women is never good argument. The transgender stuff.

It's just, they have no arguments. They're my opinion. And I can say that because it's free speech. I can say what I want, you know, but even when I agree with it, but I can say it. So we're celebrating America's 25th birthday today happens to be Abraham Lincoln's 217th birthday today. Oh, yeah, yeah, pretty old. Yeah, he's actually back here. He's going to be on the show. He looked great. He's, we're going to interview him.

217, my man looks good. He thought you were in shape. I thought he was taller. He was disappointed about that. It was all relative. Do you shrink when you get older, I guess, right? Yeah. So the, um, so we're, you know, we're going to talk about your one of our featured speakers. I guess how you people are super excited for you to come and talk to him. So give us a little taste of like

what, what do you want, what do you want to talk to folks about? Well, just like in my story, you know, I guess that grew up into Mexico. There's a lot of things. I mean, if you watch my whole thing, speech, you probably know about this stuff. But I'm going to give a little bit tip of that growing up on where I grew up, uh, and just, you know, a little bit about my, my process and then I fell going through college, uh, by by my kids and just points stuff. Yeah, but hopefully

there's things somebody else. I always found because I have a lot of kids. I have a bunch of kids

and, uh, someone college and then younger, but they, I always think, you know, we talk about the American dream. Yes. And my view of the American dream is evolved because it, it, it has become like wanting my kids to achieve their dreams in American dream. And that before wasn't a thing, you know, I mean, it, I mean, it was me. And so it's really evolved. I think the older you get, your dreams do change for you because, you know, you've, you've accomplished some things,

you've been successful in your life. And then here's a point where, okay, now I want to see my kids do do well in my grandkids. If I have grandkids, I want to see them do also. I guess it kind of changes over the course of your life. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it, it adds a richness, but then the responsibility is hard. But then you're actually really more worried. I think because you're like, hey, I see this going in this direction. And this, this is really consequential. It really is that the, the worry

fact there's high right now. Uh, it's gone down a little bit, you know, um, my oldest will be graduating law school in May, so it should be out in the, in the world. Yeah. It should be out in the world,

like I said, we're going on the right direction. So it's a little bit more easy now because you know, ever, we're taking a turn for the better. Finally. That's good. Yes. What? So, all right, I want to turn because I love football. I'll turn a little bit to football. Yes. Um, and I do what I am interested, uh, well, all right. First, let's talk some some bears football. Yes. Because what it turned around

“for the bears this year. Ungrow. I mean, do you still talk to people in the organization?”

I do. There's a couple of people that they're still there when I, from when I played, but yeah, as a fan. I'm just a fan now. Um, unbelievable. Ben Johnson did a, the 180 they did and Caleb, I thought Caleb was good last year, honestly, uh, for a rookie to have as few as picks as he had, as a, I mean, they didn't protect him very well. In the last year, he got hit a lot, a lot of snacks, but he didn't turn the ball over, but that was something to build on,

for that year, then Ben came in and, you know, didn't sound a good job, but he got take a

ways on defense and they just, they were, the game, you never fight. They're going to lose a game.

I didn't, they came back every time. It was amazing. Even the playoff game, I left. I was sitting in Kevin Warren's box for the, the Green Bay game. Um, and they were down 21 to 3 when I last took Kevin to where they're going to win. As I walked out of his box, and they go down 21 to end up winning the game, and I'll not over time throw from Caleb to DJ. It was unreal. So he predicted it to Kevin Warren? No, I didn't know that was going to happen

in that fashion, but you, I never believe they were going to lose them, they're every game. It just, they always found a way to stay in it or come back and make a play to win the game. It was totally uncanny. It really was. You can't rely on that long-term, I don't think, but it worked a lot this year. There's going to get better and better learning learning to

“how to win and what not to do. I think is a, is a big key to doing as well.”

So, are you prediction in the middle of the shuffle next year? I'm not making that prediction, but I think they're going to be, they're going to be a front one. I think you look at maybe one of the top 10 teams that possibly get up there because they're going to get better. You know, they're going to make some key. Good thing for the bears right now is they have a, a quarterback

on a rookie contract. So they can pay some other player. They're not going 65 million bucks a year

to the quarterbacks. They can pay some other positions. I saw a power ranking yesterday that had a four. Oh, it's like, I don't disagree with it. You look at, I mean, they'll be Green Bay twice, Green Bay has been the powerhouse, not division for a long time. Did you feel like that was extra special? Happy. You know, I just get tired of their fans. Do you want to just talk about how much you hate Green Bay right now? Yeah, I don't hate them. I just towards, towards the

end of my career, their fans are just, I mean, not their fans. I'm sorry. It was so one-sided. Yeah. Air, I was unbelievable. And in the last couple years, it's been very one-sided as well. And then Ben comes in, wins two out of three. I love the handshake that he gave to

“Le Flore after they beat him for first time or second time. And their fans got so mad. That's what”

made me happy. So Matt, their fans are so spoiled because they've been beaten up us for 10 years. So when we beat them, they don't like it. And they get mad. They start talking crap in the media. I thought it was great. And it did. I did too. So take me back when you're playing. And you know, I just, I appreciate the opportunity to ask you about like what the locker room, what the the experience is with like your teammates. You know, one, I mean, are there any, like who are your

teammates like you were closest to? Then we got a great locker. I must have this. The 13 years I was

there. We had coaches around my first four years. It was a great hit coach. They mean I'd love me

my last nine. They didn't draft bad guys and they didn't sign bad for agents. That makes sense that everyone who was in our locker room fit. And if you didn't, didn't, didn't. Culture was a big done. That started with our whole increase. I want my favorite teammates to ever. All in set the standard in our locker room like the way we behaved, the way we talked to people, the way we did things. And then, you know, we just all got along. We had fun. It was like picker's picture 60

grown men going to basically screw around all day. You know, we playing baseball on the locker room, we're playing Dodgeball, we're playing kickball. And then the bear's built a little game room for us. There's ping pong. I mean, between meetings, we had a good time. It was a good camaraderie. Just a fun group of guys. Man, Lance was a great team. My Charles, Julius Pepper, is Hunter Hill and Meyer. Great host. I mean, does he divorce? I mean, I mean, there's a

hundred guys I can do. Great players. It's some great players. Yeah, we had to, we had some great players, aren't team. It was a good guys. It's awesome. So if, uh, what could I, so if Congress, this kind of out of that, they're questions. Congress were to be able to observe that locker room. Hmm. What might they learn and how might they act differently? Congress? Well, we were trying to accomplish one goal as a team. So we got along. We didn't have issues. Of course, we had, you know,

our fights and practice blah, blah, blah, but like personally, but we did, we did things together out the fill, but we're in there at the competition's one goal. We want to win full block games. I'm not sure what Congress's goal is, but what they're trying to do, but maybe they should help America win. America, make America better, right? Yeah. I don't, I don't feel like that's at the top of their minds sometimes or what they're trying to get accomplished. They're, it's so personal

and divided in there. Yeah. They're just going to vote on the party lines no matter what, if it's good for America or not. So we often talk about people sitting on the sidelines, you know, watching, just watching TV, telling, you know, they're spouts about what they're seeing, complaining television set, but what we're talking about here a little bit and what you're talking about is like people getting involved, taking that one small step. Yes. How, you know,

if you're going to tell somebody, you know, how to get off the sideline and onto the field and

research. So what, so what, what you're going to stand up for, do some research to know exactly

“what you're talking about. I want to get on board with to know that what you're actually”

getting on board with is what you're getting on board with. Because sometimes you support

these things that they're not really what you're supporting. There's hidden things behind these agendas that you may not know about. So be, I guess, educated on what you want to support and

“know some some history about it and be educated, I guess, and be vocal. I think that's what I'm”

going to use our voice. Use our first amendment, right, to say what we believe or what we

we think to be right and this is good out there and support it. Yeah. Well, that's great. Brian, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you, appreciate it. I've said it for this event. I'm really appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks. Hey folks, if you liked this episode, please subscribe and like to our channels or follow us on social media on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

“Always remember, freedom and liberty are easily taken for granted. Don't take them for granted.”

Go out there and defend liberty and freedom. Thanks for joining us and we'll see you on the next episode. Thank you for listening to American potential. You may listen to more stories from Americans working every day to expand freedom and opportunity in their communities by visiting of americanpotential.com.