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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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Laurinaitis shows up at Rams Park
By BILL COATS STLtoday.com | Posted: Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Players showed up at several NFL facilities today after U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson on Monday granted an injunction halting the league's six-week lockout.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis was spotted at Rams Park shortly after noon, but it could not be determined whether he actually entered the facility. Apparently no other Rams players arrived at Rams Park.

"I think all the players understand kind of what's going on," coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "They're getting a lot of information."

Nelson has yet to rule on the league's request to stay the injunction.

"We'll just see how it plays out," Spagnuolo said. "It'll work itself out."
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http://www.stltoday.com/article_8633b6ce-702d-11e0-9e51-001a4bcf6878.html
 
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Laurinaitis' joy over return to NFL environment is short-lived
Dennis Dillon Sporting News

EARTH CITY, MoEARTH CITY, Mo. -- When you?ve been locked out of your stomping ground for seven weeks, you tend to savor your first visit back when the doors open again.

Thus linebacker James Laurinaitis made not one but two trips to Rams Park Friday. He arrived in the morning to lift weights under the supervision of strength coach Rock Gullickson, then returned in the afternoon to say hello to his newest teammate, North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, who was the Rams? first pick in the draft.

?It?s awesome,? Laurinaitis said about the Rams training facility being open again. ?I got a good upper-body workout in. Went in the steam room, which was nice, something I hadn?t done in a while. Met with coach Spags (coach Steve Spagnuolo). We talked football, which was nice, refreshing.?

It beat talking about the lockout, lawsuits, stays and other non-football language that has permeated an offseason tainted by the first NFL work stoppage in 24 years.

?It?s nice to know the doors are open for now,? said Laurinaitis, who wore a red Ohio State Buckeyes T-shirt. ?We?ll see where this thing goes in the future, but I know it?s open today.?

Cont..
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Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/fee...-nfl-environment-is-short-lived#ixzz1L0Lzx6BD
 
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Laurinaitis on Tressel, Joplin relief efforts
May, 31, 2011
By Mike Sando

Questions about Ohio State's coaching change dominated the conversation when St. Louis Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis spent nearly 19 minutes on SiriusXM NFL Radio recently.

Laurinaitis, who played for Jim Tressel at Ohio State before joining the Rams as a second-round draft choice in 2009, said Tuesday that he hoped people would eventually remember his former coach for a successful 10-year run.

The subject turned to the Rams near the end of the interview. Laurinaitis' thoughts on the Rams' recent trip to see tornado victims in Joplin, Mo., seemed particularly well put:

"To be honest with you, it's one of those things that is hard to talk about because you wish you could have done it in silence. It was an opportunity that we had to get on a plane and fly down to Joplin. The cool thing, finding out about it now, Adam Goldberg told me he had 25 guys wanting to jump on the flight and he had to reject 21 of them because we could only take four with us.

"We just wanted to help out the people down there and take their minds off what had happened for a little bit. The really encouraging thing is when you get down there and visit at Missouri Southern (State) College where the Red Cross had set up a temporary living situation for about 200 people and had a little child care going on. We just wanted to play with those kids and let the people know that there are people out there that care. We wanted to be there to show them that people care about them and love them, and they are in a lot of thoughts and prayers, not only in St. Louis but throughout the United States."
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http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/39080/laurinaitis-on-tressel-joplin-relief-efforts
 
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Laurinaitis unhappy with how college coach has been painted
By Steve Wyche NFL.com
Senior Writer
Published: June 7, 2011

Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis, who played collegiately at Ohio State, said "it's disheartening" to see how embattled former coach Jim Tressel has been portrayed following months of turmoil, player infractions and his cover up that led to his recent resignation. Laurinaitis also said that Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor, whose indiscretions played a role in Tressel stepping down, would be best served returning to Ohio State for another season so he can mature and re-build his image.

Laurinaitis played at Ohio State under Tressel from 2005 to 2008. He was selected by the Rams in the second round of the 2009 draft. During NFL.com's Cover Two Podcast with Steve Wyche and Bucky Brooks, Laurinaitis acknowledged that he has a personal relationship with Tressel and that Tressel was wrong for not coming clean about his knowledge that some players have violated NCAA rules.
Laurinaitis: Minicamp schedule set
Several St. Louis Rams players will stage a minicamp Thursday through Sunday at an undisclosed location in Arizona, according to linebacker James Laurinaitis. More...

Still, "The fact that he's being vilified as some liar and backstabber and stuff," Laurinaitis said. "That guy is about as genuine a person as you can meet. I've seen him be a father figure to plenty of players ... To see him get portrayed as the ultimate fake guy is disheartening."

Pryor meanwhile, could opt to enter the NFL's supplemental draft -- if there is one -- before this season. He has been suspended for the first five games of next season and with an ongoing investigation at Ohio State, there is no guarantee that he'd be eligible to play if more transgressions are discovered. Plus, being part of the infractions that led the popular Tressel's resignation might not make him overly popular on Columbus.

Laurinaitis said Pryor would do himself a service by weathering the fallout at Ohio State instead of entering the supplemental draft, where an NFL general manager said he'd likely be selected in the latter middle rounds at best.

"You want to see some more maturity out of him, some more growth as far as a quarterback, being a leader throughout the locker room," Laurinaitis said. "This is an opportunity for him to say, 'OK, let me walk the straight and narrow here, get everything together and grow up a little bit (with) another year.' Hopefully he learns from this. He can go one of two ways.

"You can keep going further south or turn yourself around and use it and say, 'Listen, I handled this adversity and I grew from it.' You hope he goes that route. As long as you stay out of the media and stay out of the limelight with all that stuff and focus on football and being a leader of the squad, he's be alright. I hope that for him."
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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000...happy-with-how-college-coach-has-been-painted

JL on Pryor- NFL Network
 
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James Laurinaitis: The Rams linebacker is a classic leader. He, along with Ron Bartell and Sam Bradford, organized detailed workouts for St. Louis. Laurinaitis described how the players not only worked out together but also gathered at homes to study and break down film. And he?s getting his teammates together again in Arizona this weekend.

Laurinaitis is a football junkie who lives for practice, team bonding, the quest to get better ? and winning. Rams fans should be thrilled to have him as the pulse of the locker room.

And Laurinaitis got emotional talking about what he saw in tornado-ravaged Joplin, Mo. He has been very active helping the relief efforts.
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http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...-vince-young-jake-locker-sizzle-fizzle-060911
 
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Rivals at 10: Top 25 College Football Players
23. Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis
SEASONS: 2005-08
BUZZ: Laurinaitis made All-America teams and led the Buckeyes in tackles in each of his three seasons as a starter. The two-time team captain finished his career with 375 tackles and made at least 115 stops in each of his last three seasons. He won the 2006 Nagurski Award as the nation's top defensive player, the 2007 Butkus Award as the game's best linebacker and the 2008 Ronnie Lott Trophy as the nation's top defensive impact performer. He was named the Big Ten defensive player of the year by both the conference's media and coaches in 2007 and '08. He was a second-round pick in the 2009 draft.
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Early birds show up at Rams Park
By BILL COATS ? [email protected]
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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July 26, 2011--- Rams James Laurinaitis pauses to talk to a journalist before entering Rams Park Tuesday afternoon. The first practice of Rams training camp is Saturday. Emily Rasinski [email protected]

A self-professed "football junkie," Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis simply couldn't wait. He arrived at Rams Park at 7 a.m. Tuesday ? two hours early, according to the NFL's timetable.

"The side door was still locked, so I was like, 'Hold on ? are we still locked out?'" Laurinaitis said. "But I just walked up front and snuck my way in."

With the lockout settled Monday, players were permitted into team facilities Tuesday. Laurinaitis actually was the second Rams player to arrive: Defensive end James Hall showed up about 6 a.m.

"There was a substantial amount of guys in here," Laurinaitis said. "It's fun being around a team. The locker room atmosphere picked up just like that, guys joking around with each other and stuff like that. So, it was good."

The 4?-month lockout was "extremely frustrating," Laurinaitis said. He helped bide his time by doing extensive film work on his home computer.

"I have every game from last year on it, and I was able to watch it all and just study film myself," Laurinaitis said. "My two Rottweilers watched a lot of film with me, too."

He said he also worked out every day but Sundays. "Sunday is the Lord's day ? until football season. Then I have no control," he quipped.

Laurinaitis spent Tuesday renewing acquaintances, while also getting in some work. "I had a good conversation with every coach, scout and everyone that you just missed in the building," he said. "I got a workout in, a little lower body, did some strides outside. I enjoy running sprints in this unbelievable heat; it feels good.

"I just enjoyed seeing all the faces of the guys on the team. We did some things together in the offseason, but some of the guys, just due to family stuff and everything, you don't see them. I'm just ready to go. I wish it was Friday."

That's when Rams players officially are to report, with physical exams and meetings planned. The first practice of what will be an abbreviated training camp is Saturday, two weeks before the Rams meet the Indianapolis Colts in their preseason opener.

The challenge during that span will be getting into "football shape," Laurinaitis said. That could mean an accelerated pace, with plenty of hitting.

"But I'm ready to go (and) I'm assuming everybody on this team is in shape," he said. "Everyone I've talked to has been working hard. I think two weeks is plenty of time."
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Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...962-5e3a-84c9-42a47675ffac.html#ixzz1TIw0Dd8Z
 
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