Career: Ranks third on Purdue’s career sacks list with 20 and eighth with 34 tackles for loss.
2000: Second team All-Big Ten by both coaches and media … started all 12 games, first five at linebacker and last seven at right defensive end … topped team and tied for second in Big Ten with nine sacks … led team and tied for sixth in Big Ten with 15 tackles for loss ... second on squad with two interceptions … tied for third with six pass breakups … fourth with 66 tackles (38 solo, 28 assists) … tied for team lead and tied for third in Big Ten with two fumble recoveries … nine sacks are tied for sixth on school season list … came up with first collegiate interception at Northwestern on Oct. 14 … recorded career highs of nine tackles, four for loss and three sacks, and recovered fumble at Wisconsin on Oct. 21 … three sacks are tied for fourth on school game list … named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after having eight tackles, including three for loss and two sacks, and an interception vs. Ohio State on Oct. 28 … recovered fumble vs. Indiana on Nov. 18 ... had seven tackles, including two for loss and a sack, against Washington in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
1999: Second team All-Big Ten by media and honorable mention by coaches … started all 12 games … topped team and ranked tied for fifth in Big Ten with 11 sacks … recorded 19 tackles for loss to rank seventh in conference … fourth on team with 64 tackles (45 solos, 19 assists) … had two sacks in first career start at Central Florida on Sept. 4 and vs. Notre Dame on Sept. 11 … had season-high three sacks vs. Michigan State on Oct. 16 … made seven tackles, including season-high four for loss and two sacks, vs. Penn State on Oct. 23 … totaled season-high eight tackles, including five solo, at Minnesota on Oct. 30 ... received team’s Hammer Award (outstanding hitter) and Pit Bull Award — Defense (exemplified and sustained tenacity and intense play) for 2000 spring season.
Junior College: Named second team All-American and conference Defensive Player of the Year as redshirt freshman … totaled 101 tackles, including seven sacks, with three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries ... coach was Skip Foster.
High School: Member of Joe Tiller’s first recruiting class at Purdue in 1997 out of Irving MacArthur High School … first team all-district and as senior after recording 35 tackles, including five sacks ... caught eight passes for 242 yards (30.3 average) as tight end ... team captain ... coach was Johnny Ringo.
Personal: Given name is Akinola James Ayodele … Akinola is an African word that means “a warrior who has gone through many wars and has never been defeated” ... born Sept. 17, 1979 … law and society major … enjoys reading, playing sports and collecting license plates ... a devout Christian who wrote an article for Guideposts For Teens about the death of his best friend from high school, Mike Timlin.
Ayodele’s Purdue Statistics
Defense
Year Solo Ast. Tot. Tl.-Yds. Sacks-Yds.
1999 45 19 64 19-98 11-84
2000 38 28 66 15-77 9-55
Totals 83 47 130 34-175 20-139
Year PBU FF FR Int. BK
1999 1 1 1 0 0
2000 6 0 2 2 0
Totals 7 1 3 2 0
Ayodele’s Career Bests
Tackles: 9 at Wisconsin, 10/21/00
Solo Tackles: 6 at Wisconsin, 10/21/00
Tackles For Loss: 4 twice, last at Wisconsin, 10/21/00
Sacks: 3 twice, last at Wisconsin, 10/21/00
Pass Breakups: 2 twice, last vs. Ohio State, 10/28/00
Ayodele’s Game-By-Game Statistics
1999 Tackles For Loss Sacks Breakups
at Central Florida 3-0/3 2 2 0
Notre Dame 4-1/5 2 2 0
Central Michigan 2-2/4 2 1 0
Northwestern 3-2/5 1 0 0
at Michigan 4-1/5 0 0 0
at Ohio State 5-2/7 1 0 1
Michigan State 3-1/4 3 3 0
Penn State 5-2/7 4 2 0
at Minnesota 5-3/8 1 0 0
Wisconsin 4-2/6 1 0 0
at Indiana 4-1/5 1 0 0
vs. Georgia 3-2/5 1 1 0
Forced Fumbles: Michigan State / Fumble Recoveries: at Ohio State / Interceptions: none
2000 Tackles For Loss Sacks Breakups
Central Michigan 1-2/3 0 0 0
Kent State 3-3/6 0 0 1
at Notre Dame 3-4/7 2 1 0
Minnesota 1-2/3 1 1 0
at Penn State 2-3/5 0 0 0
Michigan 5-0/0 0 0 2
at Northwestern 3-3/6 1 1 1
at Wisconsin 6-3/9 4 3 0
Ohio State 4-4/8 3 2 2
at Michigan State 2-0/2 0 0 0
Indiana 2-3/5 2 0 0
vs. Washington 6-1/7 2 1 0
Forced Fumbles: none / Fumble Recoveries: at Wisconsin, Indiana / Interceptions: at Northwestern, Ohio State
