James Laurinaitis is back up to old tricks at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
No, the Butkus Award winner, three-time All-American and eight-year NFL veteran isn’t taking his cleats out of the closet. He’s instead dusting off his PlayStation controller – even if it may need an update.
“I don’t plan on getting a system. I don’t know what PlayStation we’re on now,” Laurinaitis told Bishop and Friends on 97.1 the Fan. “We could be on – are we on five? That sounds great. I’m sure they have one in the Woody. I’m almost positive they have one in the Woody. They’ll get the game there and then I’ll have to teach these young kids a lesson.”
With the revival of college football games from EA Sports coming in July in the form of EA Sports College Football, Laurinaitis is ready to resurrect his skills from NCAA Football 07 and 08 and show Ohio State’s players his skills on the sticks.
“I was insane at the game, I just want to put that out there,” Laurinaitis said. “I also want to put out there that I used to destroy one Marcus Freeman in the game. Marcus used to get really upset because my speed was better than him. I said, ‘Listen, don’t blame me, blame the nerd who made it.’ But yeah, I think I have to teach these guys a lesson.”
“I’ll have to teach these young kids a lesson.”– James Laurinaitis on EA Sports College Football
Laurinaitis is part of an exclusive club when it comes to the original EA NCAA franchise as one of 24 players from 2003 through 2014 to earn a 99 overall rating. He joined Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow as the two players on NCAA Football 09 to achieve the highest rating possible.
Joking about the bragging rights that gives him over members of Ohio State’s secondary who like to talk smack, Laurinaitis said it’s primarily more ammunition against his former teammate and current Notre Dame head coach.
“A lot of times DBs talk a lot, (Davison Igbinosun), some of these guys, they just want to chat. I’m like, ‘Look (at my 99 overall rating).’ When you get there, text me,” Laurinaitis said with a laugh. “No, I don’t do that. I saw it posted the other day and I think I sent it to Marcus, because that also bugs him. And you know what the sad thing is that he’s got the ultimate flex right now because he’s flying somewhere privately to speak.”
Laurinaitis made solid use of the Dynasty mode, Create a Team and Create a Player features during his youth while playing the game. As many who have played can relate, that meant making an overpowered quarterback or two.
“They’re all fun because basically what I did is I created a right-handed version of Michael Vick in Create a Player every single time,” Laurinaitis said. “With better accuracy. And I would create a dynasty mode, I didn’t want to make it too unrealistic and be, like, Minnesota but no, let’s do Big Ten expansion, let’s add a team called the Minnesota State Mavericks to this thing. Put them in the Big Ten, purple and gold uniforms, looking sweet, got to create the uniform. And of course you’ve gotta get a 6-5 mixture of Michael Vick and Vince Young and let’s go win the Heisman.”
Back to the current game, there’s been debate across the internet about Ohio State’s place in the trailer for the new game after two clips were shown of Lathan Ransom getting stiff-armed against Michigan and Illinois hoisting the Illibuck trophy, something it hasn’t done since 2007.
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Laurinaitis made sure to poke at Ransom in a light but motivational way.
“There’s already been a lot of debate on the line about the trailer and the (lack of) respect for Ohio State. I don’t have time to get into all that,” Laurinaitis said. “I did mention something to Lathan, I’ll just say that. I did mention something to Lathan. I just said, ‘Wow, wow.’”
Ohio State’s new linebackers coach is ready for the players in his room to learn just how talented he is at college football games.
“Guys like C.J. Hicks brag about their Madden skills,” Laurinaitis said. “I’m like, ‘Look dude, I don’t have Madden anymore, what are we talking about?’ But when it comes to NCAA, yeah, that might be (what I have to do).”
