James Laurinaitis wearing a #55 jersey; and one without any hints of scarlet or gray. It’s definitely going to take a little getting used to, but, as a fan, I am beyond excited for James! He kicked off his very first minicamp as a professional football today with the Rams. Here is a short report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Second-round pick James Laurinaitis worked mostly with the No. 3 unit at middle linebacker during team drills. Chris Draft was at MLB with the starters. “As this weekend goes, we’ll try to get (the rookies) in there a little bit more, just so we can get a little better feel for what they can do,” Spagnuolo explained.

Hope to hear more soon!

James was a guest on 97.1 The Fan’s “The Big Show” yesterday, here in Columbus. Here’s a little more about the daily sports radio talk show:

Join former Buckeyes Chris Spielman and Kirk Herbstreit along with Bruce Hooley every weekday for late-breaking sports news and hot topics. The three will weigh in on the most significant local and national sports headlines and feature interviews with the sports world’s biggest players.

You can listen to a replay here.

Scoured the net a little to find out a little more about James’ draft day and thoughts. Found some interesting stuff!

The Rams were trying to trade up to get James. They were convinced that Detroit was going to take him with the 33rd overall pick. They didn’t, and the rest is history!

Also, the Rams were the first team to work James out. I did not know that as he kept a lot of his meetings and workouts to himself during the process.

And here are some quotes from the Man himself:

“I just want to contribute anyway possible, whether it’s special teams or starting. I’m just going through a whirlwind right now. I haven’t even thought about that. I’ll play wherever they want me to.”

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo says he will stay a middle linebacker.

“I got to experience so many great things this year as a senior — being a part of the first Ohio State team to beat Michigan five times in row, Senior day and being a two-time captain. Just things that I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish if I left early. To me, it’s always been more about relationships and experiences.”

Buckeye Nation will miss those memories and experiences he helped build.

“A lot of guys get picked in the first round and are gone in a few years. It’s all about what you do when you get there. To be the first player taken at my position, mike linebacker, is an honor. This is a celebration.”

James will report to St. Louis for his first minicamp this Friday.

To any Rams fans who may be reading this, you will love James Laurinaitis. You’re getting a stand up individual who is of the highest character both on and off the field. No one will work harder for your team than James. He will continue to push himself to improve until the day he retires. Let’s hope that’s after a long and productive career in the ‘Lou!

With the 3rd (35th overall) pick in the Second round, the St. Louis Rams selected James Laurinaitis.

He was the 3rd Buckeye drafted (following Malcolm Jenkins, 14 and Beanie Wells, 31) in today’s draft. And immediately after James, the Cleveland Browns made a pick and chose Brian Robiskie. Great day for the Buckeyes!

I spent my college years in St. Louis and it’s a great sports city that I know James will enjoy. For a little fun, I hope he checks out University City (that was right up my alley). The Central West End was a favorite of mine as well. I’m not sure how close James want to be to downtown, but I’d personally recommend the following suburbs: Clayton, U-City (mentioned above), or the Webster-Kirkwood-Brentwood area. Frontenac and Ladue are really upscale. Frontenac has a great mall; not that James really cares about that. I did!

Congrats on achieving your dream, James! Can’t wait to see your career unfold!

James and 7 of his Buckeye teammates have been named to the 2009 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.

According to the press release, qualifications for membership in the inaugural NFF National Honor Society include:

Being a starter or a significant substitute in one’s last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university;

Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and

Meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.

Ohio State not only had more members than any other Big Ten team, but also the most of any FBS school! Congrats!

James on Wall-to-Wall SportsJames on Wall-to-Wall Sports

James Laurinaitis and good friend Marcus Freeman stopped by WBNS 10TV’s weekly sports program, Wall-to-Wall Sports. They spoke about the combine and Pryor’s progress.

View the Video

View the Video

James has also appeared on ESPN’s pre-draft series “On the Clock”, but I wasn’t able to record that and that particular episode did not repeat.

James did a fan chat on ESPN today and the transcript has been posted online.

Here are a few highlights:

Mark (Defiance, OH): What are you most proud of from your time as a Buckeye? Being the only class to beat Michigan 4 times, or getting to 2 straight National Championships?

SportsNation James Laurinaitis: I’d say being the only class to beat Michigan that many times–you can’t plan that, you just have to be in the right place at the right time. That’s something I’m definitely proud of.

Nice.

John (Westerville, Ohio): JL Thanks for being such a great ambassador for Ohio State. I have an important question. Will you say “Theee” before Ohio State in your NFL TV player introduction?

SportsNation James Laurinaitis: Definitely! That’s something I think that, when you come here, you wait to say it until you’re done at Ohio State. You don’t say it while you’re there, but once you get out, you’re proud to be able to say it. I’ll definitely say it before introductions.

Gotta represent!

Jonathan (Westerville, Ohio): What’s your best memory of Columbus and Ohio State in your four years as a Buckeye and would coach Tressel ever allow you to wear make-up like your father during an OSU game?

SportsNation James Laurinaitis: When we get introduced, or when you make a tackle, some kind of animation comes on the scoreboard, and I wanted to wear my dad’s shoulderpads in that, but I never worked up the guts to ask Coach Tressel. Football wise, the 1-2 game vs. Michigan sophomore year. Non-football wise, the oval, because a lot of the females like to lay out there in the sun as we walk to class.

Sorry, I couldn’t give a head’s up. I didn’t know until it was already finished!

James Laurinaitis received his degree in Communications from the Ohio State University during the school’s winter commencement exercises today. It’s a great accomplishment that James and his family can always be proud of. Congratulations!

As is customary in the weeks/months leading up to the draft, James is lining up workouts with various NFL teams.

According to The Morning Journal, he’s keeping quiet on the majority of his suitors, but has already mentioned that the Cleveland Browns have called and would like to work him out.

Laurinaitis said he has been invited to individual workouts by a few teams, though he did not identify them. He said the Browns have contacted him but no workout date has been set.

If you go by any other the mock drafts floating around, one would think that the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints could also be amongst the teams showing increased interest.

At the NFL Combine last month, James posted 40 yd Dash times of 4.80 and 4.81. Wanting to improve upon those times, James reportedly ran in the 4.6 – 4.7 range today at Ohio State’s Pro Day, which was attended by numerous NFL scouts.

ETA: Watch a video of James talking about his performance today (Official Site)