12-09-2004, 09:06 PM
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Laurinaitis named Mr. Football
http://www.mnsun.com/story.asp?city=...e&story=148922
Quote:
By John Sherman
Sun Newspapers
(Created 12/9/2004 11:15:28 AM)
Even though Wayzata High linebacker James Laurinaitis did not come out a winner in the Prep Bowl this season, he has won the Mr. Football of Minnesota Award for 2004.
This is the second year for the Mr. Football Award, which last year was shared by Lakeville running back Brylee Callender and Breck School quarterback Liam O’Hagan. The award is open to seniors only.
Laurinaitis, the first defensive player to win the award, performed brilliantly throughout the season with a total of 197 tackles in 14 games.
His two-year total of 316 tackles may be a state record.
The Mr. Football Award caps an impressive list of honors for Laurinaitis. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker and tight end was named to the All-State first team by minnesotapreps.com and was also voted state Defensive Player of the Year by that organization. He made the All-Classic Lake team and the Associated Press All-State team.
Laurinaitis comes from an athletic background. His father Joe played college football and was a sensation in pro wrestling as Animal of the famous “Road Warriors Legion of Doom” tag team.
In evaluating talent, college scouts look at four things more than anything else – academics, football IQ, speed and strength.
Laurinaitis has a 3.6 grade point average and scored a 25 on the ACT test. Scouts like the way he sees the entire field and reacts to situations. They also like the way he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds and bench presses 305 pounds.
Laurinaitis is not just a top football player, he is a star in hockey as well. He scored his first goal of the season Saturday as Wayzata defeated Roseville 6-1 in a non-conference game.
Earlier this year, Let’s Play Hockey magazine voted him “Most likely to go pro” among Minnesota’s prep players. Ironically, he was playing in a hockey game for Wayzata High when he was announced as the winner of the Mr. Football Award on Saturday, Dec. 4.
Laurinaitis said he is pleased to be Mr. Football of 2004. “Being named the best player in the state is a great honor,” he said, “especially this year, because there are so many great athletes.”
Laurinaitis said playing in the Prep Bowl against Minnetonka was a special experience – because of the rivalry and because the teams always seem to play right down to the wire.
“I am still disappointed that we lost,” he said. “But if you’d told me at the start of the season that we’d be in the Prep Bowl, I would have taken it.”
Laurinaitis is concentrating on hockey now, but he still has some recruiting visits to take. Last week, he had home visits with two prominent coaches, Dick Tressel of Ohio State and Glen Mason of Minnesota. Both coaches offered athletic scholarships to the Wayzata star. Michigan State is another school still in the picture.
“I will make an official visit to Ohio State this weekend and an official visit to Minnesota the following weekend,” said Laurinaitis.
Good genetics
James Laurinaitis said the two people who have supported him most in his athletic career are his dad and mom, Joe and Julie.
“My dad was a linebacker and my mom was an All-State hurdler,” said Laurinaitis. “That’s probably the best combination of genetics a person could have.”
Joe was a junior college All-American at Golden Valley Lutheran College after an outstanding career as a high school athlete at Irondale.
Instead of pursuing a career in football, the elder Laurinaitis became one of the world’s most prominent professional wrestlers.
“My mom and dad have been huge inspirations to me,” said James Laurinaitis. “My mom taught me about nutrition and my dad taught me about training and mental toughness.”
Laurinaitis became a linebacker while he was playing freshman football at Wayzata High.
“I was a defensive end at first, and I wasn’t very big – only 5-11 and 180 pounds,” he said. “We were playing Edina and one of our linebackers got hurt. In my first game at linebacker, I made a game-saving tackle against Edina and I realized that’s where I wanted to be.”
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