"I remember growing up with nothing": CFB legend Brian Urlacher recounts humble beginnings while endorsing massive changes in NIL

The evolving NIL landscape in college football has prompted legends like Brian Urlacher to comment on the ongoing drama. While speaking to Johnny Manziel on episode 2 of the "Glory Daze" podcast on Thursday, Urlacher shared his two cents on how things have changed in terms of salaries, meals and scholarships.

He recalled the days he used to borrow money from his mom.

“I remember growing up with nothing, you know. And then you get the guy to get out; my mom would give me some rolls of quarters for my laundry,” Urlacher said on the podcast to Manziel. [Timestamp - 28:10]

“I'd be so happy, because our scholarship checks, I think, in my profession, like 87 bucks a month. And I was in the dorm, so we didn't eat anything, you know, you had food on campus. And now there's some months they're gonna these kids are getting 100 grand a month, and then I owe money. It's crazy.

"It was so much different than when we went to at least while I was there, you obviously had a little better than I did, but it's just, it's just a different landscape,” he added.

The 2017 College Football Hall of Fame inductee also shed light on his desire to play for Texas Tech.

"I wanted to go to Texas Tech. I grew up 75 miles from Lubbock, so I went to the Texas Tech camp in my junior year. Before my senior year, I was a receiver and safety, but I was the most outstanding camper at receiver camp."

Still, since he only got to become a walk-on, he decided to give it a shot at the University of New Mexico, where coach Brian Franchione turned him into a linebacker.

"I couldn't afford to walk on, so Coach Fran called me from UNM," Urlacher said. "I was receiving some interest from other schools, but nothing significant from UNM regarding a scholarship. He goes, 'We want to give you a starship, but if you want to take it right now and give someone else, that's like, 'Duh, I'm going to school here.' It worked out."

His son Kennedy, who will now play for USC after a successful season at rival Notre Dame, will get to experience the perks of the newly introduced revenue-sharing model.

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Brian Urlacher’s son & other athletes will get direct paycheck from schools starting 2025

After the landmark House vs. NCAA settlement on June 6, things will significantly change in the upcoming season. According to the agreement, each participating school will receive $20.5 million, which will be distributed among the programs. Football will draw the most, around 75%. This means that approximately $16 million will be managed by Lincoln Riley, and the remaining funds will be allocated towards basketball and other athletic programs.

These funds will be used to pay athletes, recruit new talent and develop the program. Apart from third-party NIL endorsements, schools will now get to pay their athletes. It's a new era at the beginning for student-athletes in the NCAA.