Urlacher Feels 'Better Than Ever'

Isn't this the best part of every training camp ... also the pre-season in basketball, baseball, and hockey? A veteran star feels like he's in the proverbial "best shape of his career." How many times have we heard it? It's so cliche, but according to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune, this is exactly the case with the face of the Monsters of the Midway.

Apparently Brian Urlacher is using a training regimen called Egoscue that aging vets Junior Seau and John Lynch had used in the past to try and keep up the younger players of the league. It involves a bunch of stretching and self-resistance, among other things:

"It's a lot of core work, holding a pose for a minute or two," Urlacher says. "Some weird stuff. It's hard. Muscles you didn't even know you had start burning. But it makes you more flexible and functional. When I get done I feel great."

Remember, Urlacher was playing with pain last season -- just like Tommie Harris was -- as he dealt with a pinched nerve in his neck and assorted other back issues.
And now?

Urlacher's back could stiffen at some point, but at the moment he is feeling no pain, and he believes he has learned to manage his problem.

He better. Urlacher didn't have a stellar '08 campaign, but he was still a damn good MLB on a defense that went through many issues. With Urlacher and Harris both sporting a clean bill of health -- and Nathan Vasher hopefully healthy enough to play more than four games -- the Bears defense has all the pieces back to perform at an elite level. Hopefully for their sake they can, because the offensive side of the ball likely won't provide a ton of help. I can just see Urlacher, Harris, Lance Briggs, and company begging the offense from the sidelines to keep moving the chains via the run and eat some clock.

For today, though, I'm taking the bait and believing the defense looks to be in very good shape. Maybe Mike Brown can even make it through a season healthy?

Yeah right. (sigh)