Hall of Fame
Position: Linebacker
Years: 2005-08
Place of Birth: Wayzata, Minnesota
Date of Birth: December 3, 1986
Jersey Number: 33
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Weight: 244 lbs
High School: Wayzata
From the moment he arrived in Columbus, James Laurinaitis' sideline-to-sideline range set him apart, propelling him into the ranks of the most decorated defenders in college football history. The Wayzata, Minnesota, native now becomes the 29th Buckeye inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame.
A three-time First Team All-American, Laurinaitis earned consensus honors in 2006 and 2008 and unanimous recognition in 2007, when he captured the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. He also claimed the 2006 Nagurski Trophy as the nation's most outstanding defensive player; was a finalist for the Lombardi and Bednarik awards in 2008; and received the 2008 Lott IMPACT Trophy.
A two-year team captain and the 2007 Team MVP, he emerged as the most decorated linebacker in school history, finishing his career with 375 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and nine interceptions, while leading the Buckeyes in tackles in three consecutive seasons.
At the conference level, Laurinaitis was a dominant force in the Big Ten, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors three times (2006–08) and being named Defensive Player of the Year in both 2007 and 2008, becoming just the second two-time recipient of the award.
Playing for NFF Hall of Fame coach Jim Tressel, Laurinaitis anchored the Buckeyes' defense during a four-year run that produced a 43–8 record, four Big Ten championships, and top-10 national finishes in every season of his career: No. 4 in 2005, No. 2 in 2006, No. 5 in 2007 and No. 9 in 2008. His play helped propel Ohio State to victory in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and to consecutive BCS National Championship Game appearances following the 2007 and 2008 seasons as well as an appearance in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State went 4-0 against Michigan during his four seasons in Columbus.
Laurinaitis also excelled academically, earning three Academic All-Big Ten selections and the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Selected in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by St. Louis, he went on to enjoy an eight-year NFL career with the Rams and Saints.
Back in Columbus, Laurinaitis has served as Ohio State's linebackers coach since 2024. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
