[!--quoteo--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]Seeking someone to direct traffic and add bite to the middle of its recast defense, Ohio State has turned to the son of Road Warrior Animal.
Sophomore James Laurinaitis, the only returning linebacker with a start from last year, has moved from the outside to the middle in preseason camp. He has Marcus Freeman and former middle man John Kerr on his flanks on the firstteam defense.
Laurinaitis — his father Joe is best known as the Road Warrior Animal from professional wrestling — is a natural for the spot on a defense that will have nine new starters, co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said.
"He’s the guy out in front of our huddle, he’s the guy calling things," Fickell said yesterday. "He’s a little bit ahead of his time in the sense of he’s just a true sophomore. But he played in two really big games last year and got a lot of really good experience."
When Bobby Carpenter limped off the field with a broken ankle on the first play at Michigan last year, Laurinaitis dashed in to fill the gap. He then started in the Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame.
But Fickell said Laurinaitis will lend more to the role than just his size (6 feet 3, 235 pounds), ability (4.6-second speed in the 40) and limited experience.
"He gives us a lot of those things that (departed middle linebacker Anthony) Schlegel had, the ability to set everything for us, to give the adjustments we need to have done, and to control the huddle," Fickell said. "He’s got a real presence."
Being ordained as the leader should come as no surprise to Laurinaitis, the 2004 Mr. Football of Minnesota from Wayzata High School.
"I’ve been kind of raised up that way," Laurinaitis said earlier this year. "When my dad used to coach me back in fifth grade, whenever something would go wrong with the team he would yell at me first and say, ‘Hey, you need to get us going!’ That was a lot of pressure, but it’s just kind of been in my blood that way." [/quote]
LinkFor some reason it slipped my mind that Laurinaitis was the son of Road Warrior Animal. I remember reading an article a year or two ago about how his son was a great player and possibly coming to OSU.
I don't watch wrestling now but I did as a kid and anyone who grew up in my generation knows who the Road Warriors are. How'd you like to be one of their sons?
Looks like James is making a good name for himself.
