By LARRY PHILLIPS (Mansfield News Journal) —
BELLVILLE, OH — James Laurinaitis will gladly participate in a discussion of Ohio State’s greatest linebackers, so long as he isn’t among the subjects.
“I don’t consider myself fitting in with those guys, that’s for other people to decide,” said Laurinaitis, a speaker at Friday night’s banquet for tonight’s North Central Ohio Football Coaches Association All-Star Game. “There’s an unbelievably thick tradition there, and to even be considered is an honor to be in that category.”

Make no mistake, Laurinaitis knows his subject well. He’s going to school on it, literally.

“I’ve had an opportunity to do an independent study this summer for communications and I’ve gotten to talk to all the linebackers because I’m doing an article on the linebacker tradition here,” the Minnesota native said. “You read things about Randy Gradishar and he has two coaches that are unbelievably respected in Dan Reeves and Woody Hayes calling him the best linebacker they’ve ever seen. You’ve got guys like Chris Spielman and look at the things he’s done and Andy Katzenmoyer and what he did before he got hurt.

“A.J. Hawk, everybody knows about A.J. You still see 47s everywhere.”

Gradishar and No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Tom Cousineau were the best linebackers Hayes fielded. Spielman topped the Earle Bruce regime, while Katzenmoyer spearheaded the John Cooper Era. Hawk was considered Jim Tressel’s best linebacker, but the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Laurinaitis is making a strong case.

As a sophomore, he had 115 stops — 8.5 for loss — as well as five interceptions and four sacks to win the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s premier defensive player. Last season, Laurinaitis had 121 tackles (8.5 for loss), five sacks and two interceptions to earn the Butkus Award as the country’s best linebacker.

Still, Laurinaitis knows cracking the first rank of top Buckeyes at the position is a tall order.

“A unique thing about Ohio State linebackers is a lot of those guys could still play in today’s game,” Laurinaitis said.

None of them, except Hawk who played on the 2002 national championship team, experienced the success Laurinaitis has enjoyed.

The Buckeyes own three consecutive conference crowns and are back-to-back national championship game participants. Unfortunately, both title tilts were blowout losses, due largely to Ohio State’s inability to stop Florida and LSU’s offenses, allowing 41 and 38 points, respectively.

That scenario adds an interesting element to preseason practices. The Buckeyes are a veteran team ranked No. 1 by several preseason prognosticators.

“I think we had a great spring. Our older guys definitely had the best spring of their careers,” Laurinaitis said. “Our seniors have done a great job this summer of running hard. That’s what we need. We need our star players to have their best career years.

“I just want to do whatever I can do to help our team win it (national championship). It sounds cliche, but that’s truly it because the last two years have been really frustrating. It’s been an unbelievable run, but hopefully we can go out the right way.”

Much has been made about Laurinaitis, a first-round NFL draft lock, returning for his senior season.

“At the next level, it’s no secret, it’s a business,” Laurinaitis said. “I don’t think I was ready for that.”

It’s not the first time he’s passed up the bucks for the Bucks. Laurinaitis was a second-round NHL draft pick coming out of Plymouth Wayzata (Minn.) high school.

“I was a defenseman,” he said. “I was an enforcer.”

Naturally.

Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis signs an autograph
for Zane Gross III after Friday night’s North Central Ohio
Football Coaches Association All-Star Game banquet at
Dutch Heritage Restaurant in Bellville.
(PHOTO: DANIEL MELOGRANA/NEWS JOURNAL)

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