Lovie Smith knows about Hall of Fame players. He coached them with Tampa Bay, where he was linebackers coach for Derrick Brooks and developed Brooks behind Warren Sapp. As St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator, he was close to the work of Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace and Kurt Warner.
And the thought of Brian Urlacher not being brought into the Hall of Fame on a first ballot left the former Bears coach sputtering.
“It would be an insult if Brian is not a first-ballot selection,” said Smith, on the recruiting trail as coach of Illinois and the third-winningest Bears coach at 81-63 over his nine years from 2004-12.