Bears great Brian Urlacher: 2018 Hall bid ‘in voters’ hands now’

Brian Urlacher isn’t sweating his Pro Football Hall of Fame chances when he becomes eligible for the first time next year.

It wouldn’t do him any good, anyway.

“I’m definitely not gonna worry about it,” the former Bears linebacker said Saturday. “My résumé’s not gonna change. What I’ve done is done. Whatever happens, happens. It’s in the voters’ hands now.”

Chairman George McCaskey has said Urlacher, who was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in January, will be honored at Solider Field at some point soon.

Urlacher, who has been to only one NFL game as a spectator — he visited former assistant Bob Babich’s Chargers last year — is up for it, though he hasn’t discussed scheduling details with McCaskey.

“I talked with George, but not about that,” he said. “I think it’d be fun.”

Urlacher attended the opening of Bowlero, a new Romeoville bowling, arcade and restaurant complex, on Saturday.

He said he hoped the Bears, in the midst of the league’s free-agent frenzy, would improve this offseason.

“[Receiver] Alshon Jeffery was a big part of their offense,” he said. “I like their running back. That’s going to help [new quarterback] Mike Glennon a lot next year.

“The defense is gonna be good. We’ll just have to see. I know [coach John] Fox has won everywhere he’s been.”

Urlacher said he liked the growth of the defense last season, saying young players gaining experience because of injury would help.

They need more takeaways, though, something that was drilled by Lovie Smith’s staff daily when Urlacher played.

“You gotta get some bounces,” he said. “If the ball bounces your way, it bounces your way. You gotta be mindful of it. The ball is the game. If you get the ball, you got the game.”

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Email: pfinley@suntimes.com