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Boston College's Kiwanuka inspired by his family
Rob Biertempfel is the Pirates beat writer. He can be reached via e-mail. Also check out Biertempfel's blog, Pirates Q&A or follow him on Twitter.
"It puts things in perspective," Kiwanuka said. "I understand that, yes things may be a little rough, but I have a great opportunity to help people just by playing the game of football -- whether it's by getting the word about Uganda or by using some of my future financial earnings to help people."
Kiwanuka's paternal grandfather, Benedicto Kiwanuka, was elected Uganda's first prime minister in 1961. He fought for education and agricultural reform and, as a result, was jailed in 1969 by President A. Milton Obote.
In 1972, a year after military strongman Idi Amin took power, Benedicto Kiwanuka was assassinated.
A decade later, Mathias Kiwanuka was born in Indianapolis, the youngest of three children. He was 10 when his father abandoned the family. Yet his mother never hesitated to tell the kids about their martyred grandfather.
"He was an extraordinary man," Kiwanuka said. "If I strive in my daily life to be the kind of man that he was, then I'll do some great things in my life."
Kiwanuka already is doing great things as a defensive end at Boston College. As a sophomore last season, he led the Big East with 11 1(Slash)2 sacks, topped the team with 24 quarterback hurries, and was named first-team all-conference.
His breakout game last year came against Penn State, when he had three solo tackles, two sacks, two hurries, one tackle-for-loss and a fumble recovery. He was a major reason for the Eagles' shockingly easy 27-14 victory.
"He can take over games," Nittany Lions quarterback Michael Robinson said. "It seems like he can get to the quarterback whenever he wants to."
Kiwanuka's success is even more surprising, considering he had to be talked into playing football in college. Coming out of Cathedral High, Kiwanuka was hoping for a basketball scholarship -- but the only school that offered one was tiny Wofford College.
When BC coaches came to scout Cathedral lineman Jeremy Trueblood, they quickly noticed Kiwanuka's skills. They wound up signing both players.
With his speed and size (6-foot-8, 250 pounds), Kiwanuka has drawn comparisons to All-Pro pass rusher Jevon Kearse. If he is projected as a high first-round pick, Kiwanuka likely will bolt for the NFL after this season.
"He's so dominant and determined," BC cornerback Will Blackmon said. "I can see why so many NFL scouts put him on their lists."
Tonight, Kiwanuka will have a chance to showcase his stuff in prime time against the Nittany Lions. He's thinking short-term about forging a career in the pros, but also has long-term ambitions that include visiting Uganda and helping to build schools and hospitals.
Kiwanuka, who has an uncle in the Ugandan parliament, is interested in entering politics in the future. A Ugandan flag is tacked to the wall in his dorm room. On his back is a tattoo of the Ugandan presidential seal.
And, in his heart, is the memory of his grandfather.
"I feel like I have an understanding of him, but I honestly feel that a lot of it is still pretty abstract to me," Kiwanuka said. "There are things you cannot know about someone without meeting them.
"It kind of hurts in a way that there are some things about him that I'll never get to know. But I've come to terms with that."
| Penn State (1-0) vs. Boston College (1-0) |
When, where: 8 p.m., Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
TV: WTAE-4
Radio: WEAE-AM (1250), WCNS-AM (1480), WNTJ-AM (1490)
Line: Penn State by 2
Biertempfel's pick: Penn State, 20-17
