Urlacher retired after the 2012 season and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2018,
his first year of eligibity for that high honor. After his playing days Urlacher has remained tied
to Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico through football camps, business ventures and
charity work.
We certainly can’t talk about Lobo greats without mentioning the great Don Perkins who
spent his college playing days at the University of New Mexico before achieving greatness with
the Dallas Cowboys.
Perkins was born in Waterloo, Iowa before Albuquerque became his home.
Perkins was a standout running back at the University of New Mexico where he was a
two-time All-Skyline selection before signing with the Cowboys.
When Don Perkins retired following an eight-year career with the Cowboys, only four other
running backs in NFL history had rushed for more yards than his 6,217. Born and raised in
Iowa, Perkins was a two-time all-conference player at New Mexico, being named conference
sophomore of the year in 1958 and was named third-team All-American in 1959.
After his football career was in the books, Perkins would serve as an NFL analyst for CBS
and ABC and eventually returned to New Mexico where he retired in his chosen home of
Albuquerque.
These three special talents prove
that no matter where you are born or
where you choose to call home, through
actions on and off the fi eld one player
can inspire generations of residents in
their hometown and beyond.
2019 Albuquerque High Schools Football Yearbook 07