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LB Coach James Laurinaitis (2x B1G DPOY, 2006 Nagurski, 2007 Butkus, 2008 Lott, 3x All-American, OSU HOF)

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Tuesday, Aug. 03, 2010
Laurinaitis more at ease this season
Second-year linebacker says he's comfortable
BY STEVE KORTE - News-Democrat

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis has time to sweat the details a little more in his second season in the NFL.

"It's not going to be such a whirlwind like last year with trying to learn the whole defense," Laurinaitis said. "I know it a lot better, but there is always little details. You can always learn more. What I was learning in defensive strategy last year I can now flip to, 'What is the offense trying to do us?'"

Laurinaitis, a second-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, set a Rams record for most tackles by a rookie with a 144 last season.

He is only the second rookie in team history to lead the Rams in tackles. The other was Pisa Tinoisamoa, with 123 tackles in 2003.

"He's been a great addition," Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole said. "My hat's off to Billy (Devaney) and (Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo) on drafting him, and actually getting him where we got him because he's a first-round guy, as far as we're concerned.

"We put a lot of management skills on him. We expect a lot from him. He knows it, and the thing I just love about the guy is that he works at it. He'll be better this year than he was a year ago. We need him to be. He is a pro when it comes to his preparation and attention to detail. Hopefully, he'll have a long and illustrious career here."
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James Laurinaitis is one of four linebackers from Ohio State with the Rams. The others are: Bobby Carpenter, Na'il Diggs and Larry Grant.

Pity rookie linebacker Josh Hull, a seventh-round draft pick out of Penn State.

The Ohio State linebackers have renamed Hull "Little Joe" after Penn State coach Joe Paterno and "Kitty Cat" after Penn State's Nittany Lion mascot.

"We always growl when he comes around," James Laurinaitis said. "I don't know if you've ever been to a Penn State game, but they have that sweet lion roar, so we like to imitate that whenever he comes around. That's the advantage of having four Ohio State guys on the team. You can kind of poke fun at him a little bit."
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Read more: Laurinaitis more at ease this season - St. Louis Rams - bnd.com
 
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Rams' Laurinaitis aims to improve in second season
8/5/2010
The Associated Press

(AP) ? ST. LOUIS - James Laurinaitis was productive and durable as a rookie, leading the St. Louis Rams in tackles and starting all 16 games. This year, he expects to be even better now that he knows what to expect.

The Ohio State linebacker was a second-round pick before last season, projecting confidence from the start and emerging as a young leader. Turns out there was some bluster, too.

Early in training camp, Laurinaitis described his rookie year as a grind. He recalled never-ending pressure, beginning with the NFL combine in February, the draft, rookie minicamp, OTAs, training camp and then the season. With only a few weeks off during that long stretch, Laurinaitis said it was a rewarding yet demanding debut that he described as a "whirlwind."

This summer, he knows the amount of conditioning it'll take to get through training camp.

"Being a vet and knowing what it takes, it's a lot easier," Laurinaitis said Thursday after practice. "I trained with Larry Fitzgerald in the offseason. When you're in good condition, you can handle this."
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Rams' Laurinaitis aims to improve in second season - NewsFlash - OregonLive.com
 
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Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis seems as if he should be entering his 10th NFL season, not his second.

He carries himself with far greater maturity and focus than one would expect from a 23-year-old. Laurinaitis quickly established himself as one of the primary leaders of the defense as a rookie.

"We talk all the time, and we talked at length during the offseason about how he should be the leader of the defense," said Bartell, who is entering his sixth season. "He's such a smart, knowledgeable guy. He's the quintessential middle linebacker. He's tough as nails. He gets everybody lined up. He's a natural leader, and he's a good football player. He's still young; he has a long way to go. But right now, I think he's ahead of the learning curve."

Although he was bitterly disappointed about being drafted in the second round rather than the first, the former Ohio State star has not allowed that to be a distraction ... another obvious sign of maturity.

"You can't control who's going here and there and everything," he said. "You can only control, when you get to a team, how do you respond? It's the first time that I've had a defensive coach as a head coach, so I was excited to work under this defense that I'd heard a lot about and watched when (Spagnuolo) was in New York (as the Giants' defensive coordinator). To be a part of a first draft class of a head coach, that's really his building block. I looked at it as more of a blessing and an opportunity to come in and really turn a team and an organization around."
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NFL.com news: Given O-line woes, Rams wise to bring along Bradford slowly

The player that has continued to surprise me – carrying over from last season – is linebacker James Laurinaitis. In the 2009 draft, all the talk was about the offensive line, and eventually, turned to No. 2 overall pick Jason Smith. Fast forward to 2010 training camp and it was the Rams’ second-round pick last year that is making the bigger impact on this team – by far. Laurinaitis grew into a starting role last year and seems to be stepping up as a team leader in only his second season. For my money, the middle linebacker position is the most important position on defense. He is the epicenter of everything going on ... all else extends out from there. And Laurinaitis seems to be thriving in the role.

But it’s not just his play, it’s the way other players are often quoted saying so many positive things about how Laurinaitis is starting to run things on defense. Others already talk about him like he’s a seasoned veteran. And it’s how Laurinaitis does not shy away from taking any and all questions (not just the softballs) from reporters. By doing so Laurinaitis shows that he is not shying away from being “the man” on defense.

As important as quarterback Sam Bradford is to this team’s future, Laurinaitis’ continued growth as the quarterback of the defense could prove to be equally important.
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http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_fce03aba-aafb-11df-a1c9-0017a4a78c22.html
 
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James Laurinaitis gets license to be Rams' leader on defense
By Tom Pedulla, USA TODAY

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James Laurinaitis, left, was hesitant to speak up at times last season, when he set a franchise rookie record for tackles, but Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo has told the linebacker to take charge of the huddle in his second year.
By Mark J. Rebilas, US Presswire

EARTH CITY, Mo. ? Lead them.

St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo delivered that message to second-year linebacker James Laurinaitis this summer.

"I told him before the first preseason game that there had to be a moment where he grabbed the huddle and said, 'This is my show now,' " Spagnuolo says. "He has to let the huddle know when it needs to step up and play with a little more juice. He's starting to do that."

Leadership comes almost naturally to Laurinaitis.

"I was that way in high school (Plymouth Wayzata High School in Minnesota). I was that way at Ohio State," he says. "I'd rather be the person making calls and getting yelled at if I screw up than the one blaming somebody else."

Laurinaitis served as a team captain at Ohio State in 2007-08, the seventh member of the Buckeyes to be elected captain twice in a career. He says he grew immeasurably under coach Jim Tressel.

"Coach Tressel said to me, 'The best way to become a leader is to be someone who can be trusted to make plays and be accountable,' " he says.
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James Laurinaitis gets license to be Rams' leader on defense - USATODAY.com

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr-p_e2cyEw"]YouTube- Training Camp Party: Laurinaitis[/ame]
 
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Posted: Friday September 10, 2010
Buckeye! All 3 Rams linebackers went to Ohio State

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Before they've made a single tackle, the St. Louis Rams' starting linebackers have some notoriety. James Laurinaitis, Na'il Diggs and Larry Grant all played at Ohio State.

"It's funny how all the stars kind of align,'' Laurinaitis said. "Crazy how it happens.''

Crazy how they get their first test as a unit against a fellow Buckeye, too. Running back Beanie Wells of the Arizona Cardinals was a first-round pick last year, taken one round ahead of Laurinaitis.

Laurinaitis got his first chance at tackling the 235-pound Wells in a different uniform last year. The middle linebacker recalls taking as much of a neighborly pounding as he dealt in a pair of Cardinals' NFC West victories.

Wells scored a touchdown in both games and totaled 142 yards rushing. A larger role in the offense has been predicted for Wells, although he has missed two days of practice with a knee injury this week.

"Gosh, I remember last year was probably one of the most sore I've been after a game,'' Laurinaitis said. "He's a big guy and he runs hard. He's explosive.''
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Ohio State has a rich history at that position, too. A.J. Hawk (Packers) and Mike Vrabel (Patriots) are currently in the NFL, and blasts from the past include Randy Gradishar and Chris Spielman.

That lineage helped Laurinaitis make his college decision.

"All it takes is a couple of guys to be successful and you're like `Wow, I want to be like that guy,''' Laurinaitis said. "I remember when I was in high school and A.J. Hawk was just a beast. That just kind of gets the ball rolling.''

Laurinaitis and Grant played together in college and all three played under defensive coordinator Jim Heacock, even though Diggs is in his 11th season and is nine years older than Laurinaitis.

"Diggs was centuries before us, but there's obviously camaraderie, there's obviously a brotherhood,'' Laurinaitis said. "You know what each other went through in college.''

Laurinaitis had a team-leading 144 tackles last year, most by a rookie in franchise history, and started all 16 games. He's already considered one of the team leaders.

"He's really grown,'' defensive coordinator Ken Flajole said. "Now he's telling us before we tell him. Smart kid.''

Entering his second season, Laurinaitis said he's "way more comfortable.''

"When I'm going into Seattle last year for the opener, I was wide-eyed running on the field,'' Laurinaitis said. "This year I have way more confidence what my job is, getting guys lined up, making adjustments.''
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Read more: Buckeye! All 3 Rams linebackers went to Ohio State - NFL - SI.com
 
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James Laurinaitis: Linebacker who became just the second rookie to lead the Rams in tackles in franchise history. James and I had a long chat during the preseason and, well, just read this and tell me how he's not a BA and a big part of the turnaround in St. Louis:

"The best thing about being a middle linebacker is that you're in a position to be a part of every single play. That's what I love. I think it goes back to my father coaching me in elementary school teaching me to never give up on a play. Along the way you're always thinking about what kind of linebacker do you want to be, if you ever make it? I want to be wherever the ball is -- no matter it takes. That's how I play. The first time I took the field in the NFL I was thinking, 'I'm a starting middle linebacker in the same league as guys like Ray Lewis and Derrick Brooks.' I'm now a part of that select few. I do think about how, all the way back in fourth grade when I first put on the pads and how this was a goal. My friends' parents would ask, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' And I'd say, 'I want to be a pro football player.' And they'd look at me like, oh that's nice. That kind of stuff flashes back through your mind, real quick, as a rookie. And then, you get hit by a 300-pound offensive lineman and you realize, oh, yeah, I guess I got a job to do now.'"
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The Flem File is back with a collection of the NFL's fiercest and toughest - ESPN
Laurinaitis takes control of Rams defense
BY BILL COATS ? [email protected]
Friday, September 10, 2010

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Jonathan Daniel DEC. 6, 2009
James Laurinaitis of the St. Louis Rams waits for the start of play against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Joe Laurinaitis made his living as a professional wrestler. His avocation was coaching kids sports teams ? mostly the ones on which his son, James, played.

It didn't matter what sport: Joe "drafted" James No. 1.

"He kind of put the pressure on me. He made it known to the rest of the guys that he thought I was the best player," said James, the Rams' second-year linebacker. "When that's your father as coach, you have to go out of your way to prove it. You've got to be a leader."

Thus were planted the seeds of leadership that blossomed throughout Laurinaitis' football career at Wayzata High in Plymouth, Minn., then Ohio State and now with the Rams.

"I was voted captain my senior year in high school, and then at Ohio State I was voted captain by (coach Jim) Tressel and the guys when I was a junior," Laurinaitis said. "It's something that's just natural."

Laurinaitis, 23, isn't a Rams captain ? yet. But make no mistake: despite his youth, he's recognized as the clear leader of the defensive unit.

"He accepts that role really well," coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "When he was here in his first (spring practices), it was like, 'Wow, he really gets it; let's see what happens in training camp.' And he didn't skip a beat."
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Laurinaitis takes control of Rams defense
 
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