Well, sort of.
Back in 2005, Nike ran a series of “What if?” ads, imagining what star athletes of that time would’ve been like had they ventured into different sports than the ones that made them famous. The commercial features several stars of that decade, including Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson and tennis legends Serena Williams and Andre Agassi.
When the commercial shifts to the ice, two of the NFL’s biggest stars are shown sitting next to each other on the bench: Michael Vick and Brian Urlacher. Later on, Urlacher buries a Dallas Stars’ defender as part of his clearly effective forecheck. Although how Vick and Urlacher ended up on a Colorado Avalanche roster remains a mystery to all of us.
With Satuday’s news that Urlacher is going to be inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame this August, we found it appropriate to take a quick journey down memory lane and revisit the commercial that wonders: what if the New Mexico native had opted for the ice instead of the gridiron?
Brian Urlacher skating on the left wing of a line centered by Jonathan Toews with Patrick Kane on the right wing would’ve been pretty fun, right? I imagine most goalies would’ve had trouble seeing around Urlacher’s 6-foot-4, 260-pound frame when he parked it in the crease.
And while we’re on the subject of Urlacher, visit our colleagues over at Windy City Gridiron, who have all your coverage of the Hall of Fame induction for one of Chicago’s greatest all-time athletes.