Lauricella was a star at Holy Cross High School in New Orleans, Louisiana.

His team there won the city championship in 1947, using the single wing offense.

Lauricella played under coach Robert Neyland at the University of Tennessee from 1949 to 1951.

Lauricella gained fame as the running back in the single wing offense, at the time that most schools had switched to the T-formation.

D Lauricella was named as an All-American in 1951 and was the first runner up in the Heisman Trophy voting to Dick Kazmaier of Princeton University that same year.