My favorite story involved a defensive coach for one team asking Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis why they should pick him. "Tell me something,'' the coach said. "When is the last time a linebacker from Ohio State came to the NFL and was worth a s---?'' That shook the Buckeye out of whatever confident zone he might have entered the room in.

Come to think of it, he makes a good point. A.J. Hawk has been OK, but nothing spectacular, and he followed the likes of Bobby Carpenter and Andy Katzenmoyer.