Linebacker Brian Urlacher tweaked Chicago Bears fans Sunday night when he congratulated Danieal Manning after the Houston Texans safety picked off quarterback Jay Cutler.
Urlacher was seen shaking hands with Manning after the play. They spent five seasons together in Chicago and Urlacher wasn't in the mood to apologize for being a decent sport during Chicago's 13-6 loss.
"That was a nice play. I could give a crap about what people think on the street. Get mad at me all you want, I could give ... I could give a crap about what people say," Urlacher told ESPN Chicago's "Waddle & Silvy" show on Monday. "Danieal Manning is a friend of mine, he was a teammate for five or six years, and that's the way it is. He made a catch and was running toward the sideline to say something to Coach, so I walked out there."
Pulling a page from Antonio Cromartie's playbook, Urlacher continued: "The guy had a good game, he caused a fumble, had a pick. He's my friend. I wish he wouldn't have caught it, but he did, so 'nice play to you.' I don't give a crap about what fans or people say, they can kiss my butt. I don't care."
Urlacher dismissed the notion he's some heat-seeking behemoth that can't dial it down during a game. The man has 177 starts since Y2K and friends spread all over the league.
"When the play is over, it's over," he said. "It's not like I have to go out there and be a jerk to him because it's during the game and I'm a tough guy. That's not the way it is. They're my friends. Between the whistles I'm going to try and get them, and when the play is over we'll go back to doing whatever."
If you, in particular, have an issue with Urlacher's handling of the situation, he can be found here on Twitter. Good luck.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
