James Laurinaitis
| James Laurinaitis | |
|---|---|
| College | Ohio State |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Sport | Football |
| Position | ILB |
| Jersey # | 33 |
| Class | Senior |
| Career | 2005–2009 |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 244 lb (111 kg) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | December 3, 1986 Hamel, Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| High school | Wayzata HS, Plymouth, Minnesota |
| Awards | |
| 2006 Bronko Nagurski Trophy 2007 Dick Butkus Award 2008 Lott Trophy 2006 AP All-American 2007 AP All American 2008 AP All American 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award | |
James Laurinaitis (born December 3, 1986 in Hamel, Hennepin County, Minnesota) is an American football linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Laurinaitis was a three-year starting middle linebacker at Ohio State. He was awarded the 2006 Nagurski Trophy,[1] the 2007 Butkus Award for top college linebacker,[2] and named an NCAA All-American in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
High school
Laurinaitis was touted in the NHL as a 2-3 round pick, but teams didn't draft him because of football. While he was successful in hockey, having been named as team captain as a senior, football was clearly his best sport, as evidenced by his selection as Defensive Mr. Football in Minnesota in 2004. That season, he helped lead Wayzata High School to the state championship game in Class 5A with 193 tackles, including 28 for loss and five sacks. He signed with the Buckeyes, becoming Ohio State's first scholarship football player from Minnesota since legendary NFL coach Sid Gillman in 1930-33.
Ohio State
As a true freshman in 2005, he played in all 12 games eventually reaching #2 on the depth chart at strong-side linebacker behind (current Dallas Cowboys player) Bobby Carpenter. After Carpenter broke a leg on the first play from scrimmage in their rivalry game against Michigan, Laurinaitis played the rest of that game, and also started in their Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame. As of the end of the 2006 regular season, Laurinaitis led the team in tackles (115) and interceptions (5), and also had 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.[3]
In 2006 Laurinaitis won the Nagurski Award as the nation’s best defensive player. Also in 2006, he was named a finalist for the Butkus and Bednarik awards. He was named 1st team All Big Ten in addition to being named to the Walter Camp and FWAA All-America Teams.
He was named 2007 Big Ten Preseason Defensive Player of the Year by the Big Ten Media.
Laurinaitis won the Butkus Award for most outstanding linebacker in 2007. He was Also named an All-American by multipule media outlets including; Walter Camp, FWAA, AFCA, Sporting News, AP, Rivals.com He was honored as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.[4]
Family
Both his father and 2 uncles were professional wrestlers. His father, Joe wrestled under the name Animal as one half of the tag-team The Road Warriors, one of the best tag teams in wrestling history. His uncle John formerly known as Johnny Ace is currently Senior Vice President, Talent Relations for World Wrestling Entertainment. His uncle Marcus, The Terminator, was mainly known as one half of the tag team The Wrecking Crew[citation needed].
James' older brother, Joseph Jr. served in Iraq with the Army and is currently training to become a police officer. His younger sister Jessica graduated from high school in 2008, but played on her high school hockey team.[5]
Notes and references
- ^ ESPN - Ohio State's Laurinaitis wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy - College Football
- ^ May, Tim (2006-10-19). "Laurinaitis named Butkus semifinalist". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
- ^ "Overall Defensive Statistics". Ohio State Buckeyes Football. 2006-11-18. Retrieved 2007-01-18.
- ^ https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1059421
- ^ He lives with his wife, Julia, 40, and their two children, James, 16, and Jessica, 14, in suburban Minneapolis. Joseph, 22, his son from a previous marriage, is in the U.S. military, with tours of duty in Kuwait and Iraq under his belt.
External links
- Ohio State's Laurinaitis wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy College Football News Wire, December 4, 2006
- Depth Chart, The-Ozone.net