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 member. However, his passion for the situation at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and NFL legend Zach Thomas may need context.
On June 15, Urlacher went on The Pat McAfee Show to talk football, and the Hall of Fame came up. For Urlacher, one of the most egregious omissions in the hall is Thomas, who spent the majority of his career with Miami and had a “homecoming” with the Cowboys.
“Guys who never played the game get to vote,” Urlacher began. “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.”
Urlacher made it in 2018, while 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 that is mentioned when Thomas comes up, and understandably so. The prime years of his career were spent in Miami, but his homecoming with the Cowboys was subject to major fanfare.
Thomas attended Pampa High School before becoming a local legend at Texas Tech before spending 12 seasons with Miami. Over that span, Thomas amassed five first-team All-Pro nods and six Pro Bowls according to PFR.
In 2008, Thomas came to Dallas for a final season. While he was switching into a new system and also turning 35-years-old, the former Red Raider showed why he was a member of the 2000s All-Decade team.
Thomas notched 65 solo tackles, a sack and three passes defended as a veteran 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 hard to directly compare numbers between the three, especially the volume numbers due to all three players for different amounts 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 meets Lewis and Urlacher on takeaways. Lewis has 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 while Lewis did three times and Urlacher did once, but 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.
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