The first half of his career, Laird was a special teams punt and kick returner.

[1] He moved to the coast, and attended Scituate High School where he was a four-sports star.

[2] Laird attended American International College,[1] where he was an All-American his junior and senior years.

Once retired from the game, Laird remained active with the NFL, as a member of the Board of Directors of "Fourth & Goal", an independent organization for the benefit of retired NFL players.

[2] He has also been the NFL's uniform inspector for Baltimore Ravens home games at M&T Bank Stadium since 1998.