Jalen Dye was born close to Lawrence when his father, Jermaine, played for the Kansas City Royals. He heard from his father it would be a nice area to live, but was too young to remember much.

“He said it is a nice area,” Dye said. “I don't really remember too much because I was just born.”

Twenty years later Dye is back in the area making a name for himself playing football at Kansas. His father was an All-Star for the Royals and would later go on to win the MVP of the World Series in 2005.

But there was never any pressure to choose one sport over the other.

“He just let me be me,” Jalen said. “He really said, ‘There's no set sport. You don't have to follow my footsteps. Whatever you can do, whatever you want to do. Pave your own way.’”

And that is what Dye is doing.

His name has been mentioned in the offseason and spring football by head coach Lance Leipold and his teammates. After arriving in the summer he is getting used to the system after spending last fall, the bowl practices and this spring playing safety.

“I think I'm getting more and more comfortable with calls, what the calls mean, the checks that we need to make,” he said. “I just feel like I'm really focusing on day by day getting better every day.”

This safeties Kenny Logan and Marvin Grant are limited opening up playing time this spring. The extra time on the field has helped his growth and forced him to communicate.

“I'm just really focused on the opportunity that has come, and just taking each play and each day to get better and better,” he said. “I think Kenny and Marv not being in, it just gives me more opportunities and gives the whole room more opportunities to just show what they can do each and every day.

“I think it's good because it forces me to communicate and open up and show a side of me that not a lot of guys see really. I think it's good for me.”

Dye said his father will be in Lawrence next week for the Spring Showcase that will kick off Friday at 7 p.m.