Laurence Maroney was a four sport athlete at Normandy High School in St. Louis Missouri. He played football, baseball, basketball, and was a member of the state championship track team. He was named MVP of the basketball team two consecutive seasons. In football, Laurence was a three-time all-metro and all area selection. He was all-state in both his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, Maroney rushed for 1,948 yards, averaging just less than 10 yards per carry and scored 25 touchdowns on offense and 86 tackles and 15 sacks on defense. He was an all-American selection and was named St. Louis player of the year as a senior. He finished his high school career with 4,808 yards and 56 touchdowns. He also totaled 187 tackles, 24 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles on defense in his career. He accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Minnesota at the conclusion of his senior season. He saw action as a true freshman rushing for 1,121 yards and 10 touchdowns, despite the presence of current Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber III. He was named big ten freshman of the year for his performance, becoming the first Gopher to receive the honor since 1986. As a sophomore Maroney topped his previous totals with 1,348 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was named first team all-big ten. He and teammate Marion Barber became the first running back duo in NCAA history to each rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. The two talented backs shared offensive and team MVP honors for the 2004 season. As a senior, Maroney rushed for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had a career high, 15 receptions for 158 yards and one touchdown on the season.

Laurence Maroney has a ton of experience against top competition, having rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons in the big ten. He possesses good speed and is a threat to scored every time he touches the football. He is a patient runner who waits for holes to develop. Once a hole develops, he is very decisive and hits the hole very fast. He has excellent vision and instincts. He does a good job of following his blockers and can be difficult to bring down due to his lower body strength and exceptional balance. He isn’t going to run over many players, but he will break tackles and pick up additional yardage. He does a good job of finishing his runs. At slightly over 200 pounds, Maroney lacks ideal size of a featured NFL back. He may need to add some bulk to be able to take the pounding over the course of a full NFL season. He split time all three years at Minnesota so he didn’t have an opportunity to prove he could carry the load. Splitting time did save some wear and tear on his body, which could add a year or two to his NFL career. He is an average blocker but could use some work in that area. He wasn’t used much as a receiver in a run first offense, catching only 19 career passes and just 4 in his first two seasons. He also had the benefit of a very good run blocking offensive line which includes two of the top interior offensive linemen in the 2006 NFL draft, center Greg Eslinger and guard Mark Setterstrom. Maroney does have the ability to return kicks when needed; he averaged 25 yards per return as a freshman in 2003. Laurence Maroney has been one of the most explosive and productive backs in the nation over the past three years. He should be a first round pick in April.