LA Rams: 15 greatest linebackers of All Time

The Saint Louis Rams certainly had a very memorable middle linebacker named James Laurinaitis who was one of the most productive players in the history of the Rams franchise. Truth be told, he was the St. Louis Rams version of incoming inside linebacker Bobby Wagner, a 6-foot-2 255-pound linebacker who was as strong as an ox, as clever as a fox, and packed a wallop like a full-grown Ram (pun intended).

Not only did he record 854 tackles for the St. Louis Rams, but he chalked up 655 solo tackles over that same time frame.  While he did not accompany the Rams in their migration from Missouri to California, his NFL career set a standard that few have been able to match in their time with the franchise.

Laurinaitis, despite his proficiency on the football field, never competed in the NFL Playoffs. But his dominance on the football field certainly was enough to warrant a postseason appearance. But the truth is, his jack-of-all-trades play was enough to contribute significantly to the team, but not specialized enough to attract the type of attention that would lead to honors and awards.

854 tackles, 10 interceptions, 16.5 quarterback sacks, 34 passes deflected, 49 tackles for a loss, 40 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and eight fumble recoveries over seven NFL seasons and 112 games for the Saint Louis Rams. While that was never enough to place him into the NFL Pro Bowl, it’s enough to earn him the 12th spot on this Rams Franchise All-Time List for Linebackers.