Brian Urlacher and Devin Hester Selected to NFL's Best 53-Man Roster of the Past 25 Years
Brian Urlacher and Devin Hester Selected to NFL's Best 53-Man Roster of the Past 25 Years originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
A major nod to NFL history just dropped—highlighting the league's most iconic stretch in recent memory. In celebrating the last 25 years of gridiron greatness, a definitive list has been released, shining a spotlight on the league's most impactful players and coaches. And for fans in Chicago, there's plenty to be proud of—two all-time Bears legends earned their place on this elite roster.
Advertisement
The list in question is the NFL All Quarter Century Team: Best 53-Man Roster, Coaches, released by ESPN analysts Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder. Meant to reflect the best of the best from the modern era (2000–2025), the team captures not just fan favorites but data-backed excellence across all positions.
Soldier FieldGetty Images
For a city that lives and breathes football, seeing Brian Urlacher and Devin Hester honored among the NFL elite is a badge of honor.
Brian UrlacherGetty Images
Urlacher anchored one of the most feared defenses of the 2000s—a relentless force who made Sundays miserable for opposing quarterbacks. Over a 13-year career with the Bears, the linebacker totaled 41.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, and 22 interceptions. He was named Defensive Player of the Year once and earned five All-Pro nods.
Advertisement
According to Walder, the Urlacher-led Bears had the third-best defense in terms of EPA per play from 2001 to '12. He also ranked fourth in plus-EPA per game among all players. A stat-sheet stuffer with sideline-to-sideline instincts, Urlacher was the pulse of a defense that demanded respect.
Devin HesterGetty Images
Hester brought fireworks every time he touched the ball. With 20 return touchdowns and over 11,000 return yards, his career didn't just redefine special teams—it elevated it to must-see TV. Fourteen of those scores came via punt returns—a jaw-dropping number no one has come close to touching.
And in 2024, Hester capped off his legacy by becoming the first return specialist ever inducted into the Hall of Fame. From the moment he housed the opening kick of Super Bowl XLI, fans knew they were watching something special.
Advertisement
In honoring the league's top contributors from the past quarter century, ESPN's list is both a tribute and a time capsule—a reminder of the impact Urlacher and Hester had on the game. And in Chicago, it's a chance to reflect on two careers that still echo through Soldier Field, reminding fans why this city's football history is anything but ordinary.
Related: Bears' Prized Free Agent Starts Game Day in the Most Unexpected Way
Related: Bears Hard-Nosed Rookie RB Pushes Back on 7th-Round Label After Draft Slide
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Has Coastal Carolina won College World Series? Chanticleers aiming for another title
When the College World Series began just a week ago, Coastal Carolina was looked at by many to be the team that could blow up eight-team CWS bracket. After 12 total games played at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, the Chanticleers have done just that. Advertisement Riding its nation-leading 26-game win streak, the third longest in Division I baseball in the last five years, Coastal Carolina has returned to the CWS championship series with wins in Omaha over Arizona, No. 8 Oregon State and Louisville (to say nothing of the Chanticleers' super regional sweep of No. 4 Auburn). Next up is No. 6 LSU in the finals, which get underway on June 21 at 7 p.m. ET. REQUIRED READING: College World Series bracket: Scores, schedule, teams, times, TV channel for CWS The Chanticleers' run in Omaha has been far from impressive and garnered praise from all around the college baseball world, including Louisville coach Dan McDonnell, who called Coastal Carolina an "efficient," "well-oiled machine" team after losing to the Chanticleers in the CWS semifinals. Entering the best-of-three championship series, Coastal Carolina leads all teams at the CWS with 24 runs scored and the second-best pitching staff ERA at 3.00. The Chanticleers now look to add to their trophy case and end a five-year stretch of an SEC team winning it all in Omaha. Advertisement Here's what to know about the Chanticleers' history in the CWS championship: Has Coastal Carolina baseball won a national championship? Yes, Coastal Carolina baseball has won the College World Series once in program history, which came in its first trip to Omaha in 2016. The Chanticleers' national championship was historic in several facets: It was the first national title in program history; the first NCAA national championship for the Big South (then Coastal Carolina's conference); and marked the first time since Minnesota in 1956 that a team making its College World Series debut won it all. In that 2016 CWS championship series, Coastal Carolina reverse-swept Arizona, winning 2-1, to be the last team standing in Omaha. Advertisement "We're not the most talented team in America. We're just the national champion," former Coastal Carolina coach Gary Gilmore said. "That's all that matters." He added: "This program has been a lot better than people give it credit for. They thought we played in a small conference and couldn't get this done. This bunch wanted to prove everybody wrong." REQUIRED READING: Coastal Carolina vs Arizona: Revisiting Chanticleers' 2016 CWS title win over Wildcats Coastal Carolina College World Series history Coastal Carolina has a miniscule history with the CWS championship — albeit a successful one. Advertisement Two wins vs. LSU would make Coastal Carolina just the fourth team since the best-of-three championship series was added to the CWS format in 2003 — joining South Carolina in 2011, Arizona in 2012 and UCLA in 2013 — to win the national championship with a perfect 10-0 postseason record. Here's a breakdown of how the Chanticleers have fared in their trips to the CWS finals: Coastal Carolina NCAA baseball tournament schedule To make the College World Series, Coastal Carolina won the Conway Regional and Auburn Super Regional with a perfect 5-0 record. The Chanticleers won the Conway Regional with wins over No. 4 regional seed Fairfield (10-2) and No. 3 seed ECU, twice (18-7 and 1-0, respectively). They then beat No. 4 national seed Auburn 7-6 and 4-1, respectively. Advertisement The Chanticleers have not lost a beat in Omaha, going a perfect 3-0 in the winner's bracket of Bracket 1 play with wins over Arizona, No. 8 Oregon State and Louisville. In its 11-3 CWS semifinal win over Louisville, Coastal Carolina led from the jump, plating six runs in the bottom of the first inning. For his part, Schnall there weren't any comparisons that came to mind between this team and the 2016 championship squad. "I wish I could give you an answer that you could really take off with, but I can't, no. It's different than the 2016 team. That 2016 lineup was so dangerous, 1 through 9 — power, speed, short game," Schnall said following the Chanticleers' win over Louisville. "This team is different. It's more grind, inside game, first to third, little things like that. And they play really high-level defense, even though we made two outfield errors this week. That's the only errors we made. We're fielding over .980 in the postseason which is pretty tough to do because you're in a lot of pressure situations" Advertisement Here's a game-by-game breakdown of how Coastal Carolina has advanced to the 2025 College World Series championship series: Game 1 (Winner's Bracket): (13) Coastal Carolina 7, Arizona 4 Game 2 (Winner's Bracket): (13) Coastal Carolina 6, (8) Oregon State 2 Game 3 (Winner's Bracket): (13) Coastal Carolina 11, Louisville 3 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Has Coastal Carolina baseball won College World Series? What to know
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Guilty Plea Results from Drone Incident During Steelers-Ravens Wild Card Game
Guilty Plea Results from Drone Incident During Steelers-Ravens Wild Card Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers Wild Card matchup with the Baltimore Ravens was halted by the sighting of a drone over the stadium back in January. Advertisement Now, a 43-year-old man has entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to one year of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $500 fine. Per the Baltimore Banner, Alexis Perez Suarez is from Baltimore and was responsible for the drone and the delay of the playoff game. 'Public safety is a top priority, so we're committed to protecting our airways above mass gatherings. Suarez knew that M&T Bank Stadium was under a temporary flight restriction, yet he flew his drone into the airspace anyway, which is unacceptable,' Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said. 'There is a zero-tolerance policy for operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems in No Drone Zones. The U.S. Attorney's Office, along with our partners, will hold those accountable who ignore the rules and regulations surrounding restricted airspace." The local FBI office was also involved in the investigation. Advertisement 'It is not just irresponsible and reckless, but illegal to fly a drone over a major sporting event such as a Ravens playoff game. Capturing a photo is not worth the risk of hurting any spectators, players, or employees. As shown by this investigation, the FBI and our partners will hold those caught violating the law fully accountable," Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office said. The danger of a drone over a crowded stadium was emphasized as well. 'Federal laws regulating the use of drones exist for a reason: to protect people and keep our skies safe,' Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General said. 'Flying drones illegally— especially overcrowded sporting events — is reckless and dangerous. Today's guilty plea underscores our commitment to working with our partners to hold violators accountable and prevent potential disasters.' Related: Steelers Rookie QB Describes 'Good Vibe' with Aaron Rodgers Related: Ravens Corners React to Jaire Alexander Signing This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ravens' Malaki Starks Receives Preseason Honor
Ravens' Malaki Starks Receives Preseason Honor originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Baltimore Ravens had a clear focus on defense in this year's draft, and addressed a subpar secondary from last season with their first-round pick. Advertisement General manager Eric DeCosta spent the No. 27 overall pick on Georgia safety Malaki Starks, and the selection was called "the best defensive fit of the first round" by ESPN. DeCosta said Starks was one of the best Combine interview they had and considered the Georgia defender the best safety in the draft. Starks has been named to All-Rookie Team by Gennaro Filice. "Starks is represented by Nicole Lynn, but the trailblazing agent has a serious competitor when it comes to the dogged promotion of her client: ME! Seeing how my infatuation with the safety approached stalker levels during this draft cycle, his placement here was guaranteed the moment I was handed this assignment," Filice wrote. Advertisement "The fit in Baltimore is perfect, as Starks' center field chops will allow Kyle Hamilton to return to the overhang role that made him a first-team All-Pro in 2023. And Malaki has already endeared himself to his head coach." Ravens coach John Harbaugh has been impressed with Starks since Day 1. 'He was organizing walk-throughs at the hotel for the rookies pretty much the whole camp -- I think that's pretty cool,' Harbaugh said last week. 'He's always on point.' It's likely that Starks can be a Week 1 starter too. The Ravens kept free agent Ar'Darius Washington, who started the final 12 games of the season including the playoffs at safety. But he's struggled to stay healthy and has played more than three games just one time in four seasons. Advertisement "This was a guy that really checked every single box for us in a lot of different ways," DeCosta said. "There were some other players that we coveted it as well, but in the end, he was by far the best guy available for us when we made the pick." Related: Ravens Corners React to Jaire Alexander Signing Related: Guilty Plea Results from Drone Incident During Steelers-Ravens Wild Card Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
