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#3. Animal and son on the cover of Sporting News
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As proud as Animal was of his wrestling career, he was just as proud (if not more so) of the career of his son, former St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis.
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James attended Ohio State University where, under coach Jim Tressel, he was a multiple time All-American and All-Big 10 selection. He was also the recipient of both the Lott and Bronko Nagurski Trophies and the Butkus Award. Basically, he was really, really good at playing college football. So much so, in fact, that when it came time for him to enter the NFL Draft, there was a lot of speculation of where he would end up playing.
When Laurinaitis ending up signing with the NFL's St. Louis franchise, the media buzz began. Not only was James (now retired after eight years in pro football) an amazing player, but growing up the son of a legendary pro wrestler like Animal also made for a fun story.
In July of 2011, Joe and James were featured on the cover of The Sporting News, with Animal in Rams gear and his son decked out in face paint and spiked shoulder pads. The magazine also did a story on the two, as James was already two years into his NFL career.
