Laurinaitis won't be content to rest on success
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 12:53 pm
good guy he is
http://dispatch.com/dispatch/content/sp ... 6BQFK.html
Listening to James Laurinaitis, you wouldn't know he was All-America last season.
"There's a lot of stuff I've got to improve upon in watching (film of himself) last season," the linebacker said.
Like what? As a sophomore in 2006, he won the Nagurski Award and was a finalist for the Butkus and Bednarik awards, was named first-team All-Big Ten and led Ohio State with 115 tackles. He also had four sacks and five interceptions.
And yet praise and accolades seem to bounce harmlessly off him. The way he talks, he was not a superstar, but woefully inadequate.
He has a long list of improvements he'd like to make.
"Maybe reading (plays) faster, getting to the quarterback better, being more physical, there's a lot of stuff you can name off," Laurinaitis said. "And I'm a perfectionist, so I'm going to stick with everything."
No matter what he says, though, the reality is that coming into this season, things are different for Laurinaitis. Last spring, he was an unknown, an inexperienced player charged with helping to replace stars A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel.
He was known more for his famous father -- former pro wrestler Joe "The Animal" -- than for his play.
This fall, his face will be featured on national preseason magazines. He will be a marked man, with everyone expecting an encore.
"Obviously, you don't want to disappoint people, but you can't focus on that," he said. "I'm a firm believer in (the saying) 'We're not going to focus on accomplishments, we're going to focus on improvements.'
"I love that quote and it's true -- you have to focus on the stuff you can get better at, because you're never as good as you think you are."
This tone is set by the OSU coaches. Jim Tressel talks about the players not swallowing the media "poison," meaning don't get caught up in all the good things printed and spoken about you.
Co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell isn't worried about how Laurinaitis will handle his fame.
"Sometimes, the hardest thing about being here at Ohio State is praise," Fickell said. "Because criticism, the media says something or the coaches can say something bad about you, and all it does is make you angry. And if you're a competitor, then you take it in and you get better.
"Sometimes the praise is something you don't think you've swallowed and it's hurting you, but in the long run, it really is. But James is a different kid, and if there's anybody who can handle it, I think he did a very good job of handling it. He's level-headed."
http://dispatch.com/dispatch/content/sp ... 6BQFK.html
Listening to James Laurinaitis, you wouldn't know he was All-America last season.
"There's a lot of stuff I've got to improve upon in watching (film of himself) last season," the linebacker said.
Like what? As a sophomore in 2006, he won the Nagurski Award and was a finalist for the Butkus and Bednarik awards, was named first-team All-Big Ten and led Ohio State with 115 tackles. He also had four sacks and five interceptions.
And yet praise and accolades seem to bounce harmlessly off him. The way he talks, he was not a superstar, but woefully inadequate.
He has a long list of improvements he'd like to make.
"Maybe reading (plays) faster, getting to the quarterback better, being more physical, there's a lot of stuff you can name off," Laurinaitis said. "And I'm a perfectionist, so I'm going to stick with everything."
No matter what he says, though, the reality is that coming into this season, things are different for Laurinaitis. Last spring, he was an unknown, an inexperienced player charged with helping to replace stars A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel.
He was known more for his famous father -- former pro wrestler Joe "The Animal" -- than for his play.
This fall, his face will be featured on national preseason magazines. He will be a marked man, with everyone expecting an encore.
"Obviously, you don't want to disappoint people, but you can't focus on that," he said. "I'm a firm believer in (the saying) 'We're not going to focus on accomplishments, we're going to focus on improvements.'
"I love that quote and it's true -- you have to focus on the stuff you can get better at, because you're never as good as you think you are."
This tone is set by the OSU coaches. Jim Tressel talks about the players not swallowing the media "poison," meaning don't get caught up in all the good things printed and spoken about you.
Co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell isn't worried about how Laurinaitis will handle his fame.
"Sometimes, the hardest thing about being here at Ohio State is praise," Fickell said. "Because criticism, the media says something or the coaches can say something bad about you, and all it does is make you angry. And if you're a competitor, then you take it in and you get better.
"Sometimes the praise is something you don't think you've swallowed and it's hurting you, but in the long run, it really is. But James is a different kid, and if there's anybody who can handle it, I think he did a very good job of handling it. He's level-headed."
My uncle was the Dean of Housing at UF for many years until he passed away two years ago. Both my Aunt and Uncle earned their degrees from BGSU>