Page 51 - Toledo Football Media Guide

Louis Ayeni has made quite an impact on Toledo’s run-ning game in his two seasons with the Rockets.

As the run-game coordinator in 2011, Ayeni guided a UT running attack that fnished fourth in the MAC, averag-ing 213.6 yards per game. The running game peaked against Western Michigan when the Rockets ran for 419 yards and fve TDs. For the season, seniors Adonis Thomas and Morgan Williams combined for 1,772 yards and 23 TDs. Thomas had 1,071 yards despite missing most of three games with a bro-ken arm. He led the MAC with a 6.3 rushing average, and was named second team All-MAC for the second straight year. Toledo’s running attack helped propel the Rockets to a 9-4 record and its frst bowl victory in six years.

In 2010, Ayeni served as the running backs coach on a To-ledo squad that went 8-5 and made its frst bowl appearance since 2005. Led by Thomas, Toledo’s rushing attack fnished third in the MAC, averaging 167.4 yards per game. The Rock-ets’ running game grew stronger as the season progressed, including a 304-yard outburst against FIU in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Thomas, who earned second-team All-MAC hon-ors, ran for over 100 yards in three of his fnal four games. He fnished the season with 1,098 yards, including a career-high 193 vs. FIU.

In 2010, Ayeni also coached Toledo’s kickof return unit that was the national co-leader in kickof return touchdowns with three, topping the Mid-American Conference with a 29.1 return average. Sophomore Eric Page led the nation with three kickof return TDs, was third with a 31.1 return average and was named the national kickof returner of the year by College Football Performance Awards.

Ayeni came to Toledo from Northwestern, where he served as a graduate assistant for two seasons, working pri-marily with the ofense.

During his career at Northwestern from 1999-2003, Ay-eni played running back before switching to safety prior to his senior season. He served as team captain in 2003. He graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in communica-tions and a minor in sociology.

Despite being limited his senior year by injury, Ayeni

earned respect as one of the most feared hitters in the Big Ten Conference. In four games his senior year, he totaled 22 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He added “Player of the Game” and “Big Playmaker of the Game” acco-lades against Kansas, Purdue andWisconsin.

As an ofensive performer early in his career, Ayeni helped lead the Wildcats to a Big Ten Championship in 2000. As a true freshman in 1999, Ayeni led the team in kickof re-turn average and yardage, was third on the team in special teams tackles and was the Wildcats’ second-leading rusher. Ayeni played for Head Coach Tony Dungy and the India-napolis Colts as a safety for the 2004-05 season before joining the St. Louis Rams and Head Coach Mike Martz in 2005-06 as a linebacker.

A native of Woodbury, MN, Ayeni played his prep ball at Woodbury High School where he helped lead the Royals to their only state championship in 1998. He is the school’s career leader in yards (3,504) and touchdowns (47). He ran for 2,112 yards and 34 touchdowns his senior season, both school records.

Ayeni also participated in the Bill Walsh Coaching Intern-ship with the Chicago Bears at their 2009 training camp.

Page 51 - Toledo Football Media Guide - 2012

Page 51 - Toledo Football Media Guide - 2012