• Mike Forman •
• Originally published January 25, 2009 at 3:31 a.m., updated January 25, 2009 at 3:31 a.m.

Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells was furious.

Parcells wanted to know why Jerheme Urban left Valley Ranch without signing a contract to join the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.

"Coach Parcells was mad they let me leave the building," Urban said. "He wanted someone who could run like I do for the practice squad. I packed my bags and went right back."

Urban has become accustomed to traveling on short notice during a football career that began when he played flag football in Victoria and suited up in pads for the first time at Crain Middle School.

His next stop is Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, Feb. 1, in Tampa, Fla., as a wide receiver and special teams player for the Arizona Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Urban's journey has been filled with twists and turns, but he's remained steadfast in his faith and love for his family, while displaying a strong work ethic and a burning desire to succeed.

"It was definitely a passion that was ingrained in me at a very young age," the 28-year-old Urban said. "I'm uber competitive. That's one of the reasons I ran track so I could compete year-round."

Urban's varsity high school football career got off to an inauspicious start when he threw seven interceptions in Stroman's season-opening loss to Gregory-Portland.

Urban went on to pass for a district-leading 1,375 yards, but the Raiders finished at 1-9 and they fared only slightly better going 3-7 his senior year.

"We won four games in two years, but I had a blast," Urban said. "Just being around the guys on those teams and the coaches we had. We grew up so much together. That kind of made up for losing some."

Urban passed for 1,117 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 370 yards and six touchdowns as a senior and his love for the game never diminished whatever the result.

"Anything Jerheme Urban touches or is involved in ends up being the best," said Tal Elliott, Urban's head coach at Stroman. "He helped others get more out of it than they put into it. The bottom line is Jereheme Urban did not leave the program in a worse spot than he found it. He helped other people along the way."

Urban's athletic ability and competitiveness attracted the attention of Roland Rodriguez, an assistant football coach for Trinity University, a NCAA Division III school in San Antonio, who recruited the Victoria area.

"Physically he had good traits," said Rodriguez, who is currently the head softball coach at Millsaps College in Mississippi. "He had decent size and good speed. He was persistent and very determined. The way he did things with himself really caught my eye. He was very demanding of himself. He was the type of kid who did extra work before and after practice."

Urban accepted an invitation to play at Trinity and reported to two-a-days with the intention of playing quarterback. But he broke some bones in his right hand when it caught in his jersey while he was catching a pass in a preseason practice and was forced to wear a soft case, prompting a move to wide receiver.

"I like to joke that was the best break of my life," said Urban, noting Trinity quarterback Roy Hampton went on to become an all-American. "I was very raw my freshman year. I didn't catch a pass until the playoffs, but I became a starter my sophomore year. Thanks to coach Rodriguez's teaching and tutoring, I learned a lot of nuances. I was very well coached at Trinity."

Urban not only learned as much as he could about playing wide receiver, he showed it on the field setting a number of Trinity season and career records. He was also setting school records in track and field, while becoming the first Trinity athlete to win the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference male athlete of the year award four times.

"I think what happened is you could see him filling out more than anything," Trinity head football coach Steve Mohr said. "He was adding muscle and bulk. Running track helped all that as well. You could tell he was getting a lot stronger and filling out more. There's no question he was the best athlete at Trinity for the four years when he was here."

Urban enjoyed more success in his first season at Trinity than he had at Stroman and played a major role in the Tigers advancing to the Division III championship game his senior year.

Urban's performance in the playoffs along with some good fortune helped him earn the opportunity to play in the NFL. John Peterson, a scout for the Seattle Seahawks, happened to be in San Antonio when Trinity was playing St. John's of Minnesota, and decided to attend the game after reading a newspaper article about Urban.

Urban returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and had an outstanding game at wide receiver, which prompted Peterson to return for Trinity's next playoff game, where by chance he was seated next to Urban's father, Wayne.

"Jerheme was not on anyone's list that the combine prepares for us," said Peterson, who is currently scouting for the Carolina Panthers. "At this time, he was well under the radar. But I saw him play and watched more tape and one of the weekends when I didn't go to an all-star game, I timed and tested him."

Peterson thought he had a sleeper in Urban until his test results got on the Internet, causing other teams to take notice.

Urban was at the NCAA Division III track and field meet in Terre Haute, Ind., during the 2003 NFL draft. He flew back from the meet to Atlanta, but remained there to wait out the draft while his teammates returned to San Antonio.

Urban's phone got extremely busy after he went undrafted, and he received serious offers from the Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

The Seahawks' offer included the smallest signing bonus, but Urban decided to go with Seattle because of the relationship he had developed with Peterson.

"It was kind of a faith thing," Urban said. "Mr. Peterson had shown so much confidence in me. It felt like the right place to be. It was a leap of faith taking less money and going to Seattle."

Urban was plagued by foot injuries during his three seasons in Seattle, but still played in 10 games and made two starts, while catching his first touchdown pass in a Monday night game against the Cowboys.

"I loved to coach him," said Nolan Cromwell, a former defensive back for the Los Angeles Rams who coached the wide receivers in Seattle and recently became the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M. "He took everything you said and talked about and took it to heart and tried to apply it every day. He was an outgoing young man from the standpoint of asking questions of older receivers. He'd talk to quarterbacks to get to know their thinking. He worked hard in getting his skills honed. He had the willingness and desire to do whatever he could to help his team. That kind of attitude is rare and it goes a long way in today's football."

Urban's attitude and work habits earned the respect of his teammates, including quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who intervened on Urban's behalf when the team attempted to release him in 2005 on a previously agreed injury waiver. The Seahawks re-signed Urban for the remainder of the season, which allowed him to earn a Super Bowl share when the Seahawks lost to the Steelers.

Urban worked hard to rehabilitate his foot and joined the Cowboys practice squad after working out for Parcells during the 2006 season.

"He's a hard worker," Parcells said. "He's got speed and I like to have speed on the practice squad at that position. If I had to cut somebody (he could play), he's got enough experience. He's been in the game."

Urban played for the Cowboys during the 2007 exhibition season and returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in the final preseason game against the Vikings. But it wasn't enough to impress Wade Phillips, who had replaced Parcells as head coach, and Urban was cut two days later after participating in the team's conditioning drills.

Urban had packed up his belongings and was headed to San Antonio when he got a text message from Todd Haley, who had coached in Dallas with Parcells before becoming the offensive coordinator for the Cardinals.

"The text said 'Awesome punt return,'" Urban said. "I text him back that evidently it was not enough. He text back asking if I had been released and saying they needed another receiver."

Urban had a message on his phone when he was leaving church services next day, telling him the Cardinals had claimed him on waivers and to be on a 3 o'clock flight to Arizona.

Urban joined a team that included wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Bolden and current roommate Steve Breaston, but won a spot on the roster with his athletic ability and his versatility.

"He certainly did exactly what we want guys to do in that role," Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt told the East Valley Tribune. "He makes it tough for us because we have to try and find a way to let him play because of what he did."

Urban set career marks in catches (34), yards (448) and touchdowns (4) this season, while also playing on the punt, kickoff and kickoff return teams.

Urban has caught five passes for 30 yards in the postseason, including an 18-yard reception for a first down in the Cardinals' NFC Championship win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Urban, who is under contract through next season, hopes to have the opportunity to do more against the Steelers in the Super Bowl. But he will do whatever he can to help the Cardinals win, which is what he's done throughout his career.

"He was kind of like the gum on your shoe, you just can't rid of him," Rodriguez said. "He was just so determined to be good at it. He just wanted to get on the field somehow. If he gets a chance, he's going to make the most of it. He's going to do something to catch your eye."

• FOOTBALL CAREER OF JERHEME URBAN

  1997: Throws seven interceptions in his first start at Stroman High but goes on to pass for district-leading 1,375 yards and 7 touchdowns for the 1-9 Raiders

  1998: Passed for 1,117 yards and 8 ...

• SHOW ALL »

FOOTBALL CAREER OF JERHEME URBAN

1997: Throws seven interceptions in his first start at Stroman High but goes on to pass for district-leading 1,375 yards and 7 touchdowns for the 1-9 Raiders

1998: Passed for 1,117 yards and 8 touchdowns for the 3-7 Raiders

1999: Begins a four-year career at Trinity University in San Antonio.

Trinity University Single-season football records:

17 TD receptions in 2002

19 total TDs scored in 2002

24 kickoff returns in 2002

611 kickoff return yards in 2002

Career football records:

35 TD receptions (tied)

40 total TDs scored

1,000 kickoff return yards

Track & field records:

100 meter dash: 10.60

200 meter dash: 22.16

400 meter dash: 48.33

1,600 meter relay: 3:16.01

Long Jump: 23'02"

Triple Jump: 47'08"

Four-time SCAC Male Athlete of the Year - only athlete to win the award four times

May 1, 2003: Signs with the Seattle Seahawks as an unrestricted free agent.

Nov. 17, 2004: Makes his NFL debut against the San Francisco 49ers and makes his first catch for 17 yards.

Dec. 6, 2004: Gets his first touchdown reception on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys. He finishes the season with six catches for 117 yards.

2005: Has seven catches for 151 yards for the Seahawks before a foot injury ends his season.

Oct. 19, 2006: Signs with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad and remains there for the rest of the season.

Sept. 1, 2007: Released by the Cowboys.

Sept. 2, 2007: Signed by the Arizona Cardinals and makes two starts while grabbing 22 catches and two touchdowns in 10 games.

Dec. 9, 2007: Records first 100-yard receiving game against the Seahawks. In that game, he catches six passes for 123 years and a touchdown.

2008-09 season: Records career high in touchdowns (4), catches (34) and yards (448). Plays in three playoff games and makes 5 catches for 30 yards,

Feb. 1, 2009: Scheduled to play in his first Super Bowl.

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