Post by scorpion42 on Aug 12, 2009 14:31:22 GMT -7
CAMP SIGHTS: Wrestling dad shaped rookie LB
by Alex Marvez
Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Updated: August 12, 2009, 12:40 PM EDT
EARTH CITY, Mo. - Pro wrestling stardom would come naturally for James Laurinaitis.
Paint his face. Add spikes to his football shoulder pads. Transform his short haircut into a funky Mohawk and voila. You've got the second coming of tag-team legend Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis.
Even the king of the grappling game — World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon — has a standing offer for James to follow in the footsteps of his father and two uncles who "rassled" during the 1980s and 1990s.
"Whenever I see Vince, he tells me, 'We're so proud of you. We hope football works out. If it doesn't, come join the family business,'" James Laurinaitis said. "But for me, it's always been football."
And it probably always will be should he enjoy as long and prosperous an NFL career as the St. Louis Rams predict.
A collegiate standout at Ohio State, Laurinaitis was chosen in the second round of this year's draft in hopes he will anchor the team's defense for seasons to come. He enters Friday night's preseason opener against the New York Jets listed as the backup middle linebacker on the depth chart, but Laurinaitis began working with the first-team defense Sunday ahead of veteran Chris Draft. Laurinaitis could very well be in the starting lineup Sept. 13 when St. Louis opens the regular season at Seattle.
"We're looking for smart, passionate and productive players," Rams first-year general manager Billy Devaney said. "Laurinaitis fits all of that. He's extremely intelligent, he loves playing football and his (college) production was off the charts. That pick was an easy one."
Laurinaitis finished as the seventh-leading tackler in Ohio State history with 375, helping him win the Nagurski and Butkus Awards during his four college seasons. He was a two-time team captain who graduated with a degree in communications. Had he turned pro early in a 2008 draft class without as many standout linebackers, Laurinaitis wouldn't have lasted until the 35th overall pick like he did this year.
Laurinaitis has no regrets about staying for his senior season, just like he didn't think twice about trying to become a junior Road Warrior.
Joe Laurinaitis and his late partner Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand rank among the top duos in wrestling history. Growling that they "snacked on danger and dined on death" during interviews, the Road Warriors (or Legion of Doom as they were coined in WWE) combined charisma, athleticism, massive physiques and power moves into worldwide stardom.
At 7 years old, James Laurinaitis realized his father wasn't an average Joe.
"I remember meeting guys like Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Earthquake and Typhoon when I first got taken on the road," James Laurinaitis said. "But until the mid-1990s, I didn't really grasp the idea that stuff was staged out and it was more entertainment.
"I wish I did because I could have won a lot of bets with my friends on who was going to win certain pay-per-views. But my dad would never tell me the result. I would ask, 'Are you going to win tonight?' and he'd say, 'You'll have to watch and see.' I would get really mad when he wouldn't win. As I got older, I would laugh when (smaller) guys like Road Dogg and Billy Gunn would beat him. I'd be like, 'That's just ridiculous. There's no way in real life these guys could beat the Road Warriors.' "
But pro wrestling was never James' first sports-related passion. It wasn't even his second. He was much more interested in playing football and hockey while growing up just outside Minneapolis.
Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis, left, hopes to follow his father, wrestler Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis, as a professional athlete -- though of the non-staged variety. (Kevork Djansezian, File / Associated Press)
"I remember when he was in kindergarten telling me, 'Daddy, throw the football because I want to make a Cris Carter catch,' " said Joe Laurinaitis, a junior college football player himself before branching into pro wrestling. "He got reprimanded by his teacher in junior high school. She said, 'James, can you please write an essay on something other than sports?' "
On the road for 300-plus days a year during his heyday, Joe Laurinaitis still carved time to attend his son's games, help him study game film and offer weight-lifting tips. Laurinaitis also did his best to insure James experienced as normal a childhood as possible — something that isn't easy when your father is a 6-foot-1, 285-pound Mohawked celebrity who makes his living in a circus-like environment. For example, the Laurinaitis household never became a shrine for all the Road Warrior/Legion of Doom merchandise like cereal, action figures and lunch boxes that was produced.
"Pops never brought wrestling home," James Laurinaitis said. "He always kept 'Animal' on the road and never talked about it unless someone asked him."
Such nurturing helped James Laurinaitis avoid the problems that have affected the sons of other famous wrestlers. Nick Bollea (Hogan), Brian Christopher (Jerry Lawler) and Reid Flair (Ric Flair) have all gotten arrested within the past two years on charges that involved drugs or alcohol.
James Laurinaitis also received valuable life lessons at an early age like not using anabolic steroids ("Animal" quit taking them in the 1990s) and the damage that recreational drug abuse can cause. Hegstrand's long-running battle with substance problems ended in 2003 when he died of a heart attack at age 46.
"I got to learn a lot about friendship and sticking with someone," James Laurinaitis said. "My dad forgave Hawk for a lot of things that happened. They had gotten fired because of some stuff behind the scenes. That's what good friends are for. Not everyone is going to be perfect. Whenever something would happen, my dad was always good at using it as a lesson."
While his brother John (aka "Johnny Ace") is a top WWE executive, Joe Laurinaitis said he never encouraged James to pursue a grunt-and-groan career. Joe points to the physical toll it has taken on him. Forced to miss several years during the mid-1990s because of back problems, the 49-year-old Laurinaitis said he still experiences occasional numbness and has a chipped C-6 vertebrae that "doesn't allow me to sleep through the whole night."
"Don't get me wrong — James would be a natural," said Joe Laurinaitis, who actively wrestled in WWE until 2006. "You can see him light up when he talks about it. He used to suplex all of his teammates off our diving board at his high school parties. When he was 12, he would choke-slam his sister while they were playing on our trampoline. But as far as getting into the business when football is done, that's going to be his decision.
"My wife (Jessica) would say absolutely not. It's a maniacal, ruthless business. There's nothing for the guys after they stop wrestling. We're listed as independent contractors so the promoters don't have to take care of us. There's no thanks and no gratitude for people like (the Road Warriors) and Hogan, who got this business to where it is today."
Despite Animal's pro wrestling fame, Devaney and new Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo admitted they had never seen a photo of Joe Laurinaitis in his full Road Warrior regalia. Not even all of James Laurinaitis' teammates — including the ones who are WWE followers — are fully aware of his background.
"There's a little bit of talk about it," Draft said, "But it's not something we joke about too much — especially with us having a new coach and a whole bunch of practice."
James Laurinaitis still keeps tabs on the wrestling industry. He attended the WWE's Wrestlemania extravaganza again this year with former Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman. WWE allowed Laurinaitis and Freeman — a 2009 Chicago Bears draft pick and huge pro wrestling fan — to bounce around the ring backstage.
"He can't even do an easy fall," James Laurinaitis joked about his former teammate. "He doesn't know how to jump and distribute his weight. He'll have to be a manager. He's not cut out for this."
But is the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Laurinaitis?
"It's always something that's there," he said. "But my whole focus right now is on this defense. It never appealed to me more than football."
by Alex Marvez
Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Updated: August 12, 2009, 12:40 PM EDT
EARTH CITY, Mo. - Pro wrestling stardom would come naturally for James Laurinaitis.
Paint his face. Add spikes to his football shoulder pads. Transform his short haircut into a funky Mohawk and voila. You've got the second coming of tag-team legend Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis.
Even the king of the grappling game — World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon — has a standing offer for James to follow in the footsteps of his father and two uncles who "rassled" during the 1980s and 1990s.
"Whenever I see Vince, he tells me, 'We're so proud of you. We hope football works out. If it doesn't, come join the family business,'" James Laurinaitis said. "But for me, it's always been football."
And it probably always will be should he enjoy as long and prosperous an NFL career as the St. Louis Rams predict.
A collegiate standout at Ohio State, Laurinaitis was chosen in the second round of this year's draft in hopes he will anchor the team's defense for seasons to come. He enters Friday night's preseason opener against the New York Jets listed as the backup middle linebacker on the depth chart, but Laurinaitis began working with the first-team defense Sunday ahead of veteran Chris Draft. Laurinaitis could very well be in the starting lineup Sept. 13 when St. Louis opens the regular season at Seattle.
"We're looking for smart, passionate and productive players," Rams first-year general manager Billy Devaney said. "Laurinaitis fits all of that. He's extremely intelligent, he loves playing football and his (college) production was off the charts. That pick was an easy one."
Laurinaitis finished as the seventh-leading tackler in Ohio State history with 375, helping him win the Nagurski and Butkus Awards during his four college seasons. He was a two-time team captain who graduated with a degree in communications. Had he turned pro early in a 2008 draft class without as many standout linebackers, Laurinaitis wouldn't have lasted until the 35th overall pick like he did this year.
Laurinaitis has no regrets about staying for his senior season, just like he didn't think twice about trying to become a junior Road Warrior.
Joe Laurinaitis and his late partner Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand rank among the top duos in wrestling history. Growling that they "snacked on danger and dined on death" during interviews, the Road Warriors (or Legion of Doom as they were coined in WWE) combined charisma, athleticism, massive physiques and power moves into worldwide stardom.
At 7 years old, James Laurinaitis realized his father wasn't an average Joe.
"I remember meeting guys like Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Earthquake and Typhoon when I first got taken on the road," James Laurinaitis said. "But until the mid-1990s, I didn't really grasp the idea that stuff was staged out and it was more entertainment.
"I wish I did because I could have won a lot of bets with my friends on who was going to win certain pay-per-views. But my dad would never tell me the result. I would ask, 'Are you going to win tonight?' and he'd say, 'You'll have to watch and see.' I would get really mad when he wouldn't win. As I got older, I would laugh when (smaller) guys like Road Dogg and Billy Gunn would beat him. I'd be like, 'That's just ridiculous. There's no way in real life these guys could beat the Road Warriors.' "
But pro wrestling was never James' first sports-related passion. It wasn't even his second. He was much more interested in playing football and hockey while growing up just outside Minneapolis.
Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis, left, hopes to follow his father, wrestler Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis, as a professional athlete -- though of the non-staged variety. (Kevork Djansezian, File / Associated Press)
"I remember when he was in kindergarten telling me, 'Daddy, throw the football because I want to make a Cris Carter catch,' " said Joe Laurinaitis, a junior college football player himself before branching into pro wrestling. "He got reprimanded by his teacher in junior high school. She said, 'James, can you please write an essay on something other than sports?' "
On the road for 300-plus days a year during his heyday, Joe Laurinaitis still carved time to attend his son's games, help him study game film and offer weight-lifting tips. Laurinaitis also did his best to insure James experienced as normal a childhood as possible — something that isn't easy when your father is a 6-foot-1, 285-pound Mohawked celebrity who makes his living in a circus-like environment. For example, the Laurinaitis household never became a shrine for all the Road Warrior/Legion of Doom merchandise like cereal, action figures and lunch boxes that was produced.
"Pops never brought wrestling home," James Laurinaitis said. "He always kept 'Animal' on the road and never talked about it unless someone asked him."
Such nurturing helped James Laurinaitis avoid the problems that have affected the sons of other famous wrestlers. Nick Bollea (Hogan), Brian Christopher (Jerry Lawler) and Reid Flair (Ric Flair) have all gotten arrested within the past two years on charges that involved drugs or alcohol.
James Laurinaitis also received valuable life lessons at an early age like not using anabolic steroids ("Animal" quit taking them in the 1990s) and the damage that recreational drug abuse can cause. Hegstrand's long-running battle with substance problems ended in 2003 when he died of a heart attack at age 46.
"I got to learn a lot about friendship and sticking with someone," James Laurinaitis said. "My dad forgave Hawk for a lot of things that happened. They had gotten fired because of some stuff behind the scenes. That's what good friends are for. Not everyone is going to be perfect. Whenever something would happen, my dad was always good at using it as a lesson."
While his brother John (aka "Johnny Ace") is a top WWE executive, Joe Laurinaitis said he never encouraged James to pursue a grunt-and-groan career. Joe points to the physical toll it has taken on him. Forced to miss several years during the mid-1990s because of back problems, the 49-year-old Laurinaitis said he still experiences occasional numbness and has a chipped C-6 vertebrae that "doesn't allow me to sleep through the whole night."
"Don't get me wrong — James would be a natural," said Joe Laurinaitis, who actively wrestled in WWE until 2006. "You can see him light up when he talks about it. He used to suplex all of his teammates off our diving board at his high school parties. When he was 12, he would choke-slam his sister while they were playing on our trampoline. But as far as getting into the business when football is done, that's going to be his decision.
"My wife (Jessica) would say absolutely not. It's a maniacal, ruthless business. There's nothing for the guys after they stop wrestling. We're listed as independent contractors so the promoters don't have to take care of us. There's no thanks and no gratitude for people like (the Road Warriors) and Hogan, who got this business to where it is today."
Despite Animal's pro wrestling fame, Devaney and new Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo admitted they had never seen a photo of Joe Laurinaitis in his full Road Warrior regalia. Not even all of James Laurinaitis' teammates — including the ones who are WWE followers — are fully aware of his background.
"There's a little bit of talk about it," Draft said, "But it's not something we joke about too much — especially with us having a new coach and a whole bunch of practice."
James Laurinaitis still keeps tabs on the wrestling industry. He attended the WWE's Wrestlemania extravaganza again this year with former Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman. WWE allowed Laurinaitis and Freeman — a 2009 Chicago Bears draft pick and huge pro wrestling fan — to bounce around the ring backstage.
"He can't even do an easy fall," James Laurinaitis joked about his former teammate. "He doesn't know how to jump and distribute his weight. He'll have to be a manager. He's not cut out for this."
But is the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Laurinaitis?
"It's always something that's there," he said. "But my whole focus right now is on this defense. It never appealed to me more than football."