Top 25 Buckeyes of the Decade: #9 James Laurinaitis

The Buckeye Battle Cry will be counting down the Top 25 players of the past decade all spring/summer.  Every Monday and Thursday, Jim will be announcing a new player.  Our #1 player will be presented on Monday, August 30th.  Three days later, the 2010 season officially begins.  To view the previous entries in our Top 25, click here.

James Laurinaitis (2006-2008)

One of the most decorated Buckeyes ever, James Laurinaits was the heart and soul of the Silver Bullet defense for three seasons. A tenacious defender and ferocious hitter, Laurinaitis was a player that Ohio State fans will remember with fondness for years.

Despite being by far the most decorated Buckeye defender in the last ten years, I personally don’t think that Laurinaitis was the best linebacker at Ohio State during that time span. In fact, I would argue that he might not even be in the top three, which is why he finds himself at #9 on our countdown instead of in the top 5.

I am sure that some of you will argue with us over this ranking, but remember, we are factoring in more than just post-season awards for this countdown.

So now that we have covered why Laurinaitis isn’t higher on the list, let’s start talking about why he is in the top 10. The previously mentioned post-season decorations are the obvious place to start.

Laurinaitis is only the 8th player in the long and storied history of Ohio State football to earn First Team All-American recognition in three consecutive season. Beyond that notable accomplishment, he earned a major post season award in each of his three years as a starter (Bronko Nagurski Trophy 2006, Dick Butkus Award 2007, Lott Trophy 2008).

Laurinaitis also led Ohio State in tackles for three straight years, and is 7th all time at Ohio State with 375 career tackles.

Laurinaitis started his career by replacing an injured Bobby Carpenter in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame as a true freshman and never looked back. He quickly became a fan and media favorite the following year for his clutch play in big games, with the 2006 game at Texas as his coming out party.

Despite being ranked preseason #1, the 2006 Buckeyes had a lot of question marks that needed to be answered, particularly on defense.

Luckily for Ohio State fans, Laurinaitis and his fellow defenders stepped up and performed beyond expectations throughout the 2006 season, particularly in big games like the road game at Texas. Laurinaitis’ forced fumble on the goal line at Texas was a turning point in the game and the first of many huge plays for Laurinaitis at key moments on the national stage.

Laurinaitis’ knack for making big plays in big games throughout the 2006 season was a large reason why Ohio State made a national title run that year, and that ability throughout his career was a large reason why he earned so many post season accolades.

It seemed like Laurinaitis always made a key interception or forced a key fumble on the largest stage, and the national media took notice.

While he was one of the most visible and decorated Buckeye defenders in at least the past decade, like I mentioned, I do not believe that Laurinaitis was the best linebacker to play at Ohio State over the past ten years.

In my opinion, there was a little too much react and not enough attack in his game to be considered amongst the best of the decade or all time. Additionally, three straight bowl losses will unfortunately always be a part of Laurinaitis’ (and his teammates) legacy.

I don’t want to give the impression that I didn’t like Laurinaitis, he was certainly one of the best… just not the best, no matter how many post season awards the media chose to give him.

At a place like Ohio State, not being the best is not something to be ashamed of, and James Laurinaitis was and always will be a great Buckeye.

His decision to return for his senior season despite being projected at the top of the draft is worthy of praise. Unfortunately, his senior campaign in 2008 was a disappointing one in many ways, ruining a dream ending for Laurinaitis and his fellow seniors.

Laurinaitis was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2009 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. He made an immediate impact on the Rams defense last season, leading the team in tackles and earning the Rams team rookie of the year award.

For three straight First Team All-American seasons, for winning major post seasons accolades in each of his seasons as a starter, for leading the team in tackles three straight years, for returning for his senior season, and for taking his game to the NFL, making an immediate impact, and continuing Ohio State’s legacy of producing outstanding linebackers, James Laurinaitis is #9 on our countdown of the top 25 Buckeyes of the past decade.