On Sept 22, 1972, Uganda's first prime minister Benedicto Kiwanuka was assassinated by the leader of the country, Idi Amin, because Kiwanuka would not accept any bribes or lie to promote any of Amin's illegal actions.
"It was a horrible situation because he was a very strong man who stood up for his beliefs," said Mathias Kiwanuka, sophomore (he redshirted his freshman year) defensive end and grandson of the Ugandan prime minister. "It's been a pretty strong part of my life ever since I was born. Even though I never got the chance to meet my grandfather, it is something I'm very proud of."
What Boston College fans can be proud of is Kiwanuka this year. The 6'8", 248 lb. lineman is a monster on the football field. So far this season, he has recorded 44 tackles, leads the team with five sacks, and also leads the team in quarterback hits. Constant pressure from the defense will usually leave any offense dead in its tracks.
"Every time you get a hit on the quarterback it definitely makes him a little more timid when he drops back to pass," said Kiwanuka. "For every defensive lineman the goal every time the quarterback drops back is to get to the quarterback and get a sack, because it just makes the quarterback a little more conscious that people are coming and he doesn't have a lot of time to make plays."
Kiwanuka distinguished himself on national television in the second game of the year at Penn State. "I know I made a lot of plays, but it was a complete defensive effort. I definitely got a lot of publicity from that, but I have to give credit to our whole defense, especially our defensive line," he said. Penn State quarterbacks Zach Mills and Michael Robinson were pressured all day and rendered ineffective by Kiwanuka and the rest of the defensive line. ABC commentators Brent Musberger and Gary Danielson often praised Kiwanuka for his defensive molestation of the Penn State quarterbacks.
Kiwanuka was not highly recruited out of high school. Indiana and Toledo made offers as well as BC. But these missed opportunities have been gains for head coach Tom O'Brien and teaammates.
A close friend and teammate at Cathedral High School, sophomore offensive tackle Jeremy Trueblood, also came to BC and helped Kiwanuka's decision. "I wanted to come to BC when they offered me regardless of whether he did or not, but just knowing that he was coming here definitely helped," he said. "I think that moving halfway across the country being with someone you're very familiar with makes the transition a lot easier. Maybe not at the time, but in retrospect, it really did help."
As a sophomore, he is the youngest starter on the defensive line. Doug Goodwin and Tom Martin are seniors while Phil Mettling is a junior. While he'll only get better with experience, Kiwanuka doesn't see his lack of experience compared to the other three a disadvantage. "It really has not been that difficult. Having their knowledge in the game really helps me out with knowing what to expect," he said.
"I think the most difficulty I've had was last year as a redshirt freshman and getting acclimated to the whole college football scene." Then BC senior and current Cleveland Brown Antonio Garay took Kiwanuka under his wing. "Antonio Garay was pretty much a mentor to me the whole time that he was here. He was a constant bird in my ear just telling me what to do in each situation."
Ultimately, his goal is to be in the NFL with a combination of skills from Jevon Kearse and Michael Strahan. He prides himself on being a complete package.
"My biggest thing now is perfecting my pass rush and being able to contribute a little more on stopping the run," he said.
He has lofty goals for his career at BC as well. "My goal since I got here was to help BC win a national championship. I know that's one of those things that not everyone may think is even possible, but anything I can do to help us win more games is my goal," he said. By being one of the best at his position not only in the conference, but in the nation, Kiwanuka feels he can help the team achieve its goals.
The team achieved one of its goals with a win over Notre Dame this weekend. Does the rivalry with Notre Dame hold any special meaning for Kiwanuka? "Being that I'm from Indiana, I can't go home with a loss to an Indiana team," he said. After this weekend, Kiwi still has never lost to an Indiana team.
Be the first to comment on this article!