LAKE FOREST – Do not look for Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher to become an outspoken advocate for concussion awareness anytime soon.
Four days after Jay Cutler was forced to miss the second half against the Houston Texans because of a concussion, Urlacher reiterated Thursday that he would lie to trainers about possible concussion symptoms if that’s what was necessary to stay in a game.
“Yeah,” Urlacher said. “There’s points in every game where you take a hit, you’re a little woozy. Not every game, but most games, where you hit somebody and, ‘Whoa, that was a good one.’
“But I don’t know how you can lie these days with all the [ways] they have to see who’s concussed and who’s not. I don’t know how they can tell in the first place.”
Despite playing in 179 career games and registering more than 1,750 tackles for the Bears, Urlacher said his only “major concussion” came in 2003 against Denver. He missed a couple of plays in the game before returning, and he started the next week against Arizona.
Urlacher questioned why NFL executives were not as concerned with knee injuries as much as they were with head injuries. A concussion might force a player to miss a game or two, he said, while a cut block to a defender’s knees could render him out for the season.
Good cause: Bears fans can help victims of domestic violence by donating old cell phones, batteries and accessories to Verizon Wireless stores as part of the HopeLine Program.
Bears defensive end Israel Idonije has stepped forward as a spokesman for the program, which has awarded more than $14.2 million in cash grants to domestic violence organizations. Idonije said it was easy for fans to help an important cause.
“We all have old phones,” Idonije said. “Every year, especially if you’re an I-Phone fan, you’re getting a new phone. Those old phones and those old accessories that you have will go a long way to impact some lives. Ultimately, that’s what our community is about.”
Fans may donate their old phones to any Verizon Wireless store during business hours.
Kicking himself: Bears tight end Kellen Davis vowed to play better after a rough game against the Texans that included a fumble and several dropped passes.
“To come up short really made me upset and disappointed in myself,” Davis said. “I’ve got to come back from that and make some more plays for this team.”
Fans voiced their displeasure after Davis’ final drop in the fourth quarter. He was shaken up on the play but walked off of the field under his own power to a chorus of angry boos.
“It’s definitely not fun and it’s not easy, but it’s part of this game,” Davis said. “It’s something that you just have to deal with. We have great fans. I hope not to mess up in the future, but I’m not perfect, so hopefully they won’t boo me.”
Bears bits: Rookie wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (hand) practiced on a limited basis and could be on track to return Monday against San Francisco. … In addition to Cutler, rookie defensive end Shea McClellin (concussion) and defensive tackle Matt Toeaina (calf) did not practice.
