The calls come for Keith Millard almost every winter, when renowned strength coach Dave Spitz has a pass rusher who could use the former Viking All-Pro’s help getting ready for the NFL combine.
Millard, who played in the NFL from 1985 to 1993, initially took this year’s call with some skepticism — and then he heard Ade Aruna’s story.
He heard about a lanky kid who came to the United States from Nigeria to play basketball, until an AAU coach pulled him aside and asked him if he’d ever considered playing football. He heard about how Aruna had attended three high schools in three years, dealing with visa issues and difficult living situations before eventually trying football for the first time as a senior at La Lumiere School in Indiana.