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United States James Laurinaitis has transitioned from a decorated NFL athlete to a respected college football coach, bringing his extensive playing and leadership experience to the sideline.
Laurinaitis has partnered with various brands throughout his career, including Nike.
Laurinaitis has partnered with various brands throughout his career, including Pepsi.
Laurinaitis has partnered with various brands throughout his career, including State Farm.
The former OSU linebacker is working with the Big Ten Network and SiriusXM this year. He talked to cleveland.com about his new life and what he does now.
The former OSU linebacker is working with the Big Ten Network and SiriusXM this year. He talked to cleveland.com about his new life and what he does now.
James Richard Laurinaitis, born on December 3, 1986, in Wayzata, Minnesota, established himself as a prominent figure in Football through a distinguished playing career and subsequent transition into coaching. His family background includes notable professional wrestlers, such as his father Joe “Road Warrior Animal” Laurinaitis, fostering an early exposure to competitive environments. Laurinaitis excelled in both football and ice hockey during his time at Wayzata High School, ultimately choosing to pursue football at a collegiate level. He graduated from Ohio State University in 2009 with a degree in communications. His personal life includes marriage to Shelly Williams, an Ohio State alumna, and the couple has three daughters: London, Hayden, and Remi. Laurinaitis is an evangelical Christian and has publicly discussed the importance of his faith.
Laurinaitis’s collegiate career at Ohio State (2005–2008) was marked by significant achievements, including being one of only eight three-time All-Americans in the program’s history. He played on four Big Ten championship teams and accumulated 375 total tackles, ranking seventh in school history. Following his standout college performance, he was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft. He spent seven years with the Rams (2009-2015) and one season with the New Orleans Saints (2016). During his NFL tenure, Laurinaitis amassed 852 total tackles with the Rams, becoming the franchise leader in that category. He retired from professional play in 2017 after an eight-year NFL career.
Since retiring as a player, Laurinaitis has moved into coaching and broadcasting roles. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2022, before returning to his alma mater, Ohio State, in the same capacity in 2023. In February 2024, he was named the linebackers coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes. In addition to coaching, Laurinaitis has worked as a college football analyst for the Big Ten Network and co-hosted a weekly show on SportsTime Ohio. From 2018 to 2022, he co-hosted a midday sports talk program on radio station 97.1 The Fan.
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