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Our August 18, 2025, edition of Chariot Auto Group 2001 Rose Bowl recollections features former Purdue defensive end Akin Ayodele. A charter member of Purdue’s Den of Defensive Ends, Ayodele was a junior on the 2000 Big Ten champs and was a second team All-Big Ten selection making the first team the following year. The Irving,Texas native ranks tied for fourth in Purdue annals in career sacks (29 with Jeff Zgonina) and sixth with 54 tackles for loss. He was a third-round pick (89th overall) of the Jacksonville Jaquars. He enjoyed a nine year NFL career, which included stops in Dallas, Miami and Buffalo and now lives and works in South Florida.

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Ayodele’s leadership, position tweak changed course of Purdue’s 2000 season

It didn’t look good at halftime of Week 6. Purdue had given up 28 points in the first half to the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines and trailed 28-10 at the intermission in Ross-Ade Stadium.

Ayodele, who had been positioned at outside linebacker, a position he would play for nearly a decade in the NFL, hadn’t been as effective as he was as a rush end in the season prior. In 1999, he was a second-team All-Big Ten selection. And the defensive coaching staff, led by coordinator Brock Spack, decided to make the change.

“I’ve always just loved smacking people running around, and chasing the ball,” Ayodele said. “So it really didn’t matter to me whether I was playing outside linebacker or playing inside or playing defensive end. But the Michigan game cemented the defense. We went in a half time and kind of figuring things out, and said, ‘Okay, let’s go back to our bread and butter. Let’s go back to the basics.’

“The coaches needed me to hold down the defensive end on either side. We wanted to attack from the right, and let the front seven do their thing—that switch, and once we realized the chemistry and the formula we had with that front four. We said, ‘Why mess with this? Why change this up? Let’s run this for us through the season. Putting me at the front four and (subsequently) having more speed at the linebacker position’s what allowed us to have that anchor and that consistency across the front for the rest of the season.”

Purdue rallied to post its biggest comeback win–ever. No Boilermaker squad, before or since, has rallied from 18 points down to post a victory.

Akin Ayodle’s third-down sack of Wisconsin quarterback Jim Sorgi in overtime of the 2000 win at Camp Randall paved the way for the blocked field goal and subsequent scoop and game-winning score on the following play. (Tom Campbell)

Ayodele made another season defining play two weeks later in an overtime win at Wisconsin. His overtime sack on third down in the Badgers’ first possession of overtime , knocked the home time out of reasonable field goal distance. Coach Barry Alvarez elected to try the 58-yard attempt, but it was blocked by Craig Terrill and scooped up by Ashante Woodyard for a 36-yard TD return.

“Coach (Joe) Tiller’s mantra to take it one step at a time, one play at a time, one series at a time, one game at a time, that you know, we’re able to overcome any challenge and get on top.,” Ayodele said. “That was something that he constantly repeated after the game; just winning just one more game. And you know, it was a way for us to have the confidence to move forward.”

Ayodele’s willingness to do whatever it took for the team sent the message to his youthful defense. The 2000 team had over five freshmen (including redshirts) on the defense who played in the NFL at some point.

Purdue was young, but with experience it developed into a really salty defensive unit by the end of the season.

“I learned during my time at Purdue that nobody does anything great by themselves,” Ayodele said “It takes great talent, but also it takes great personality to do great things, right? And we definitely did not lack great personalities. That was across the board, guys like Matt Mitrione (for example) that had success in the MMA world.”

Ayodele has settled down to a successful business career after his playing days concluded. He and his wife have two children, soon to be ages 5 and 3. Ayodele is philosophical about what family life has provided him.

“I’m a late bloomer when it comes to family life,” Ayodele said. “I tell folks, it’s probably one of the best decisions that I made, being patient with myself and obviously playing in the league and then transitioning out of the league. Getting married and having a family later in life has made me a completely different man.”