Opposite routes to NU secondary Former running backs Ayeni, Backes now part of Wildcats' defense

Louis Ayeni and Jeff Backes could be considered the new kids offthe block. The two former running backs will debut in theNorthwestern secondary Saturday when the Wildcats open the season atKansas. But the routes they took to defense could not have been moredifferent.

Ayeni, a fifth-year senior whose college career has been beset byinjuries, had one foot out the door last winter. It seems a brokenheart followed two broken bones in an ankle, suffered during akickoff return in the 2000 Alamo Bowl.

Ayeni had missed six games earlier that season with a pelvicinjury, and the recovery time from his Alamo Bowl injury--includingtwo surgeries to insert plates and screws to stabilize the joint--washed out his junior season. When he returned last year, he wasmoved from running back to wide receiver but mostly played on specialteams.

Coach Randy Walker understood why Ayeni was having second thoughtsabout coming back. But Walker did his best to persuade the formerMinnesota high school running-back standout to return to Evanston forone last season as a safety.

We had to re-recruit Louis," Walker said. I could understand whyhe didn't want to [return]. The game hadn't been fair to him. Louishas had as much adversity in a four-year span as I have ever seen. Hehad a lot of bad deals--one injury after another--and it alwaysseemed like he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. So I couldcertainly understand it when he asked: Where's my place? Do youreally want me here?"'

The 5-11, 215-pound Ayeni was working out last winter with theMinnesota team while home in St. Paul for an internship when herealized his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash was good enough to defendreceivers.

Ayeni's play in practice has earned him the nickname Night-time"from defensive captain Pat Durr, who says it's time to say good nightonce Ayeni lays a hit on someone.

Backes, a 5-9, 190-pound sophomore, was recruited as a tailbackbut shifted to wide receiver last season. He now will join NU'scornerback corps.

Jeff Backes has shown that he's an unselfish kid," Walker said. Imean, heck, he wants to be a tailback. He wanted the ball in hishands. He's given up a lot to help our football team be better. Irespect that in a kid."

Durr does not think the inexperience of Backes and Ayeni will be aproblem.

They're definitely new, but they are also two of the best athleteson our team," said Durr, who returns to his middle linebacker spotafter suffering a season-ending knee injury on the sixth play of theopener last season. And when you're an athlete, you are able toadjust. They've done a great job ever since they made thetransition."

Walker also said the two newcomers to the secondary have madesignificant strides since switching from offense.

It would be hard to find anybody in our program that has a betterwork ethic than those two," Walker said. Whether it's attitude orwork, they come with the right things in place. Size, weight, speed,strength--they're at the top of our list. So that aspect of theirpreparation is not in question.

It was obvious to me in the first practice that those two hadworked a lot during the summer on their skills. They came back inAugust better than when they left in April."

Ayeni knows how important improvement in Saturday's opener wouldbe for the defense's overall confidence.

It's huge because of the fact that we weren't a very good defenselast year," he said. If we can go out and show what kind of defensewe can be this year, that will be a huge step in the right directionfor us to be a great defense. And that's what we want to be: a greatdefense. That's what our focus has been all camp.

"If we play well at Kansas, you'll see better things as the yeargoes on."