One of the people given clemency by Donald Trump in his final days as president has southeastern New Mexico ties.
Casey Urlacher, the younger brother of NFL Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, was pardoned by Trump following his alleged involvement in a gambling ring conspiracy in 2020. Urlacher, the mayor of the Illinois village of Mettawa, was one of 10 people charged.
Urlacher attended Lovington High School with his brother and helped the Wildcats win the 1995 3A New Mexico state high school football title with a perfect 14-0 record. The Wildcats won the title against Silver, 24-7.
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Urlacher also attended the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell before transferring to Lake Forest College in Lake Bluff, Illinois. He graduated in 2003. Urlacher played arena football before retiring in 2005. He finished with two rushing attempts for 10 yards.
Casey Urlacher’s political career began in 2013 when he was elected mayor with 61 percent of the votes.
Brian Urlacher denied any knowledge of his brother’s alleged illegal gambling activities.
Brian Urlacher came under fire during Trump’s presidency in August 2020 after an Instagram post he made went against the trend of athletes protesting the police killing of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. NBA players decided to boycott playing games in the wake of the shooting.
“Brett Favre played the (Monday Night Football) game the day his dad died, threw 4 TDs in the first half, and was a legend for playing in the face of adversity,” Urlacher posted. “NBA players boycott the playoffs because a dude reaching for a knife, wanted on a felony sexual assault warrant, was shot by police.”
The Chicago Bears denounced Urlacher’s statement.
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