From Ohio State to the NFL, McLaurin and Lattimore push each other originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Washington dropped a 33-22 home contest to the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Though the result surely wasn’t what Terry McLaurin wanted, the Washington wide receiver was reunited with a familiar face: Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
“Oh definitely, I wanted Terry. I wanted to go against him. He’s one of the best in the league,” Lattimore said after New Orleans’ victory. “You know, he’s my brother from Ohio State so it’s all love at the end of the day. We’re just out there being competitive.”
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Lattimore had the unenviable task of guarding McLaurin during countless practices when the duo played together at Ohio State. Lattimore got there first, but they overlapped in Columbus from 2015-16.
During the Saints' win on Sunday, McLaurin was held to his worst performance of the year, with four receptions for 46 yards.
Lattimore is no stranger to tough defensive assignments, though, even in college. While a Buckeye, he had to cover not only McLaurin, but other future NFL stars like Michael Thomas and McLaurin’s current WFT teammate Curtis Samuel.
“I mean, it’s O-State. Best of the best,” Lattimore said. “That’s how we get better, going against each other. I think that was big—going against him, Mike Thomas in college, and all those types of players.”
McLaurin echoed Lattimore’s excitement earlier in the week when discussing the matchup.
“Me and him still talk from time to time, and I got nothing but respect for him as a player, as a person,” McLaurin said of Lattimore. “I remember we were both hurt a little bit our freshman year and just talking about all the things we wanted to get accomplished, and having a chance to play in the NFL one day. It’s just cool to see—not only did he go and be a first round player, but he’s been a very high-level player since he’s been in the NFL and got a well-deserved contract.”
Lattimore and McLaurin are both following up their best individual professional seasons and gearing up for more of the same in 2021. The former posted a career high in tackles last season, while the latter put up a 1,100-yard receiving campaign.
Washington (2-3) will stay in town for a date with the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. The Saints (3-2) have a bye week coming up, then will travel to the Pacific Northwest for a contest against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
