Hank Ekpe was walking off the field in the first quarter of the game Eastern Illinois last season when a teammate told him his brother, Scott, was hurt.
Hank quickly found Scott on the sideline clutching his right knee.
The Ekpe brothers were looking forward to making a impact together for the first time on the University of Minnesota's defensive line last year. But on the second play of the opener, Scott's season was done with a torn ACL.
"You knew he was going to come back strong," Hank Ekpe said.
Fast forward to 2015, Scott is healthy, and the Ekpe brothers are starting together for the first time since they were Lewisville High School teammates in Texas three years ago.