James Richard Laurinaitis was touted in the NHL as a second or third round pick, but teams didn't draft him because it was thought that he was more likely to pursue a football career. While he was a successful hockey player, having been named a 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.
As a true freshman in 2005, he played in all 12 games eventually reaching #2 on the depth chart at strong-side linebacker behind 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. At 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.
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 First-team All-Big Ten in addition to being named to the Walter Camp and FWAA All-America Teams. Laurinaitis won the Butkus Award for most outstanding linebacker in 2007. He was also named an All-American by multiple media outlets including; Walter Camp, FWAA, AFCA, Sporting News, AP, Rivals.com. He was honored as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, he received the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, recognizing him as the nation's top senior football student-athlete.
In 2008 he was named one of four finalists for the 2008 Rotary Lombardi Award(only Big Ten player in consideration for that award) and the winner of the Ronnie Lott Trophy for The Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year and the recipient of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. He was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented to the nation's top defender by the Maxwell Club of Philadelphia and one of five defensive players among fifteen finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award. He started all thirteen games, becoming the fourth player in school history to lead the team in tackles three times in a career, as he ranked second in the Big Ten and 14th nationally with an average of 10.0 tackles per game. He recorded a career-high 130 tackles (52 solos) that included four sacks, seven stops for losses and one QB pressure, caused a fumble, deflected four passes and picked off two others.
Laurinaitis is the only player to ever win two Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year awards (in both coaches and media).
Laurinaitis was drafted in the 2nd round 35th overall by the St. Louis Rams.
Both his father and two 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 most famous tag teams in wrestling history. His uncle John, known as Johnny Ace, also served as the Executive 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.
Taken from Wikipedia