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Top Ten with a Twist: Best players to emerge from 2009 NFL Draft
By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Writer
October 10, 2013
3. James Laurinaitis, Rams linebacker, second round: Laurinaitis is a steadily-good player who flies under the radar, most likely because he plays in a market that garners very little national attention. But he's accumulated at least 98 tackles in every year he's played, and he's reached the 100-tackle mark in three of his four years in the league. He's not the best linebacker in the league, but he's a guy that many teams would love to employ. Bad pick: The Rams first pick that year was Jason Smith, who would be considered one of the biggest draft busts in recent years if he hadn't played in St. Louis.
http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and...for-Rams/6b6c7b49-2c69-4aef-be8a-43b5f47216c2Laurinaitis Remains Defensive Centerpiece for Rams
Posted Nov 18, 2013
Jonathan Webb Website Intern
James Laurinaitis is accustomed to being the center of attention in the Rams’ defensive unit. Since establishing himself shortly after being chosen in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft, Laurinaitis has been at the forefront of the Rams’ defense, in both the literal and figurative sense.
The fifth-year middle linebacker has been the Rams’ most recognizable defensive presence since establishing a team rookie record with 144 tackles during the 2009 season. In the years following that breakout rookie campaign, Laurinaitis has become a stalwart on the field, a mentor to his teammates, and the centerpiece of a green-but-growing defensive unit.
“The Bell Cow”
Since staking his claim as the Rams’ starting middle linebacker in his rookie season, Laurinaitis has been arguably the team’s most irreplaceable defensive presence. The personnel around him have changed often. Only DE Chris Long remains from the Rams’ defensive unit from Laurinaitis’ rookie season. Six of the Rams’ current 11 defensive starters have played three years or fewer in the NFL. Through all of that turnover and transition, No. 55 has remained the unit’s steadying influence and its most productive member.
Perhaps Laurinaitis’ best attribute since arriving in the NFL has been his clockwork-like degree of consistency. In his five seasons in St. Louis, Laurinaitis has not missed a single game, and led all Rams defenders in tackles during his first four years, becoming the only Rams player to lead the team in total stops for four consecutive seasons since the franchise moved to St. Louis in 1995. Through 10 games in 2013, Laurinaitis is in line to push that streak to five seasons. If there are concerns to be had for Rams defensive coaches, whether during a game week or in the offseason, Laurinaitis has gone to significant lengths to be sure he won’t be among them.
“I take a lot of pride in my preparation and taking care of my body and being available,” Laurinaitis said. “I take a lot of pride in being a guy that, when coaches go to bed at night, they’re not worried about if I’m going to be in the right gap or whether I’m going to make the right checks on my calls. They have other people to worry about and I’ve always prided myself on that.”
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