Former Ohio State great James Laurinaitis, a second-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2009, announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday.
His statement [sic'd]:
With off-season programs starting back up, the thing I'm going to miss the most is the locker room. The conversations and relationships I built with all that I've battled with will be my favorite memories.
Players, coaches, equipment staff, medical staff, community outreach, marketing, you name it, the people I've met through this game is what I'll take with me. I've been blessed way more through the game of football than I could've ever imagined.
I've been able to live my dreams that started as a 4th grader and I'm grateful.
Thank you to the Rams Organization for drafting me and giving me the opportunity to pursue my dreams! You gave me a chance to play the game I love for 7 years and I gave you everything I had St. Louis.
Thank you to the Saints organization for the ability to play one last year. Thanks to the best agency in sports CAA and especially Tom Condon, Rj Gonser, Howard Skall, Tommy Jr and Heather Grosz. The dedication to your clients is unmatched.
To all the fans along the way, thank you for your support through the years. I still love the game but the body says it's time to move on.
I'm really looking forward to transitioning into what's next with my beautiful wife and daughters.
Laurinaitis last played with the New Orleans Saints in 2016. He appeared in five games and posted 17 combined tackles.
The former three-time consensus All-American and Rams captain retires as the franchise tackles leader.
He is the second former Buckeye linebacker great to retire this offseason, joining A.J. Hawk, who retired in January.
