Ayers Hungry for First Win Over Pete Carroll
FOXBOROUGH — As reporters inundated other players Friday with questions about the sincerity of Tom Brady’s press conference, Akeem Ayers stood near the back of the Patriots’ locker room and took a small group of media members down memory lane.
Ayers, a Los Angeles native and a former UCLA Bruin, has a score to settle with former USC coach and current Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
“I never beat him, so I gotta get a win,’’ Ayers said. “I lost every time to him in college, and once in the NFL. I would like to get a win against him.’’
Ayers’ Bruins teams lost three times to USC in his college career. His Tennessee Titans lost a 2013 regular season game in Seattle. With the Super Bowl looming a week from Sunday, Ayers is itching for another shot at a coach he turned down a scholarship from in high school.
“I just wanted a change of scenery,’’ said Ayers, who grew up 10 minutes away from the USC campus. The Ayers’ family grew up UCLA fans, and Ayers laughed when he recalled how easy his college choice was.
“My grandma would’ve gotten so mad [if he had chosen USC],’’ Ayers said. “I can’t make her mad.’’
Ayers spent time with Carroll in the recruiting process and said he sees a lot of Carroll’s energy in the teams he coaches. Ayers added that he thinks Carroll’s Seahawks are similar in nature to the USC teams he dominated college football with.
There is one difference this time around, however. Ayers has his best group of teammates yet, and for the first time in his college or professional career, he might be able to be on the winning side of a game against the coach who has had his number for years.
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