Laurinaitis tries to explain away an absence

INDIANAPOLIS — Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis received criticism for skipping the Senior Bowl, and his claim that he was sick was met with skepticism.

But the former Wayzata High School standout got a chance to explain the situation Saturday as he met with the media at the NFL scouting combine. Laurinaitis said that he initially decided to skip the Senior Bowl after Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel warned him that playing could lead to injury. However, he later changed his mind and was going to play.

"As the game got closer I got kind of excited and competitive and I called my agent and said, 'Hey, is there any way you can get me into this game because I want to play? People are saying I'm afraid to play,'" Laurinaitis said.

Laurinaitis' health soon became an issue.

"That Monday before [the game] I got sick; I had the flu until Thursday," he said. "My temperature got up to 103.2. ... I went and tried to work out Friday and run and everything up at the facility and I just felt weak. I was like, 'You know what? I'm not going to go out and try to compete with these guys if I'm not going to be at my best.' ... The truth is I really did get sick."

Laurinaitis also expressed no regrets that he stayed in school for his senior season, despite the fact his draft stock might have fallen slightly because of the quality of the linebacker class. He won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker as a junior. "I knew with coming back there were going to be guys that stayed that there would be more competition," said Laurinaitis, who is expected to be a first-round pick. "I'm not one to shy away from competition. That never bothered me."

Texas Tech standout wide receiver Michael Crabtree has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot but will hold off on surgery until after his pro day on March 26, according to NFL.com.

The website reports the surgery is being delayed because Crabtree is not feeling pain in his foot and that he still wants to run the 40-yard dash for NFL coaches and scouts next month. Doctors found the fracture Friday. Crabtree is expected to be sidelined about 10 weeks once the surgery is performed.

Crabtree is considered the top receiver in the draft and is the only two-time Biletnikoff Award winner. That honor goes to the nation's top wide receiver.

• Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith, one of the top prospects in the draft, caused some confusion by leaving the combine early. Smith has struggled with weight issues (he's at 332 pounds) and was suspended from the Sugar Bowl after allegedly having improper contact with an agent. Smith did not work out, and NFL.com reported he thought he had accomplished everything he wanted to before departing for Atlanta on Saturday. That was not the case.

• Hutchinson's Lydon Murtha, an offensive tackle from Nebraska, posted the best times among offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash (4.89 seconds), the three-cone drill (7.06) and the 20-yard shuttle (4.34). Murtha's vertical jump (35 inches) was second to BYU's Travis Bright (35.5).