Kunle Ayinde was in English class during his senior year at Blaine High School when he was summoned to the football coach's office.
"I thought I was in trouble," Ayinde said.
Far from it.
A few days before signing day 2013, Ayinde saw Gophers coach Jerry Kill and tight end coach Rob Reeves smiling at him from the office. Kill offered the Bengals running back and wide receiver a chance to become a preferred walk-on at Minnesota.
Fast forward to Saturday: Ayinde, a sophomore, got his first collegiate start, at safety, and had four assisted tackles and 0.