by SHELDON MICKLES , The Advocate

That'll change Sunday when the Saints and Miami Dolphins meet in Land Shark Stadium with the brothers Ayodele -Remi and Dolphins linebacker Akin - meeting on the field with 10-to-15 family members watching from the stands.

Their mother, Jessica, will be easy to spot. She'll be wearing a custom-made jersey that features Saints colors on half of it and Dolphins colors on the other half, rooting equally for her two sons.

Meanwhile, the brothers will be exchanging barbs on the field.

"It's going to be cool," Remi Ayodele said with a smile Wednesday. "I thought it was pretty cool when we played on the same team in Dallas, so it'll be a little different. There's going to be some trash-talking going on."

Actually, Remi Ayodele couldn't wait that long. Akin Ayodele called his older brother after the Saints' 48-27 pasting of the New York Giants and then buzzed him again Monday.

" He called me right after the game talking a little trash," Akin Ayodele said. "It's going to be an exciting game, playing against a potent offense. They've got a pretty good defense, too."

The game will be extra exciting for the entire Ayodele family.

The brothers could start in the same game for the first time. Akin is a starting inside linebacker in the Dolphins' 3-4 alignment, while Remi has started three of the last four games at nose tackle for the Saints . If the Saints open in a 3-4 instead of their base 4-3, however, Ayodele would not be on the field.

That Remi Ayodele has even started three games for the Saints this season is amazing considering he was cut eight times by five teams since coming out of the University of Oklahoma in 2006.

He was waived four times alone by the Cowboys, his hometown team, before the Saints signed him to their practice squad just before the 2008 season opener.

The 6-foot-2, 318-pound Ayodele eventually joined the active roster for two different stints and played in six games in reserve and had seven tackles.

Ayodele has been a bigger contributor this season, especially since starter Kendrick Clancy injured his right knee in the season opener and missed the next three games. Even though Clancy was healthy for the Giants' game, Ayodele was active - which could be indicative of his play.

Ayodele had a career-high six tackles in a 24-10 win over the New York Jets on Oct. 4, according to coaches' film, and last week recorded his first sack.

"He's physical and he's done a good job getting his weight down," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "He found his niche at that nose position. He's one of those guys that's gotten better since we acquired him last year, and to his credit he continues to work and continues to improve."

Remi Ayodele appears to be flourishing under the attacking style employed by new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

"I'm more of an aggressive player, I like to just go get it," Ayodele said. "The way we play our techniques in Gregg's system is perfect, we go get it. There's no waiting, there's no reading. It's like, 'I'm going to go get you before you get me.'"

While it was disheartening to get let go so many times, Ayodele said he always thought he could play in the NFL -thanks to Akin, who is four years older.

"I just stayed strong," Remi Ayodele said. "Having an older brother, he just told me to keep my head up and keep going. You know, you can only control what you can control.

"I know that every time I played, or got the opportunity, I did what I was supposed to do," he said. "So if they felt like they had to cut me, that's fine. I know I did my best. ... I'm just happy that coach Payton and the coaches here noticed it."

Besides, he said Football is in his blood. He played two seasons at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a junior college, then went to Oklahoma before starting an NFL odyssey that saw him make stops in New England, Baltimore, Dallas and Atlanta before landing in New Orleans.

"I just knew I had to keep going," Remi Ayodele said. "You keep pushing. I knew I could play, he (Akin) knew I could play. So I never doubted myself, not one time."

While he's excited to be playing against his brother, Remi Ayodele said there is no friendly bet on the line -contrary to what Aki Ayodele told reporters Monday in south Florida.

"I'm just supporting my team and he's supporting his team," Remi Ayodele said with a smile. "He thinks they're going to win, and I think we're going to win, so there are going to be some bragging going on after the game."

Saints at Dolphins

WHEN: 3:15 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Land Shark Stadium, Miami

TV: Fox

RADIO: WYPY-FM, 100.7

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