Thursday, October 30, 2003

By Paul Zeise, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

There are days when Mathias Kiwanuka would like to take a breather or slow down, but he won't. He can't.

His roots, heritage and the legacy he carries won't permit it.

Kiwanuka, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound sophomore defensive end for the Boston College Eagles, is the son of Ugandan immigrants and the grandson of former Uganda Prime Minister Benedicto Kiwanuka. Twelve years ago he had the chance to visit Uganda and meet some of his family, and it has changed his outlook on life.

"It was overwhelming to actually go there and see where my mother and father grew up," Kiwanuka said. "It was overwhelming to meet so much of my family that I had heard about or read about, but never got the chance to meet or talk with.

"You see a place like that and you realize what struggle really is. It made me appreciate everything I have and everything my parents had to go through, just to leave there and come to America and start from scratch.

"When you have that as your background, you don't understand the word quit. They all worked long, hard hours every day. That's the work ethic I want to have."

Kiwanuka also appreciates his freedom a little more whenever he hears or reads about his grandfather. Benedicto Kiwanuka became the first prime minister of Uganda in 1961, but his populist initiatives were not welcomed by the British ruling class. He was ousted within a year.

He continued to fight for justice and people's rights but was imprisoned in 1969 by A. Milton Obote, who had seized control of the Ugandan government. In 1971, Idi Amin ousted Obote, freed Kiwanuka and appointed him Uganda's chief justice.

But Kiwanuka continually voiced opposition to Amin's oppressive regime. He refused to sign off on many of Amin's initiatives and constantly condemned his cruelty and self-serving government. On Sept. 22, 1972, soldiers dragged Kiwanuka from his chambers and assassinated him on Amin's orders.

Mathias never met his grandfather but thinks of him as his hero. He said he hopes he can continue his legacy and be just as strong and principled. Early in life he hid from his roots, but now they are a source of pride.

"I always wanted to establish my own identity," said Kiwanuka, who has a Ugandan flag hanging in his dorm room. "I grew up in America, but my family is African. That trip helped me understand what and who I was because I'm not even a generation removed from it."

Kiwanuka, who is from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, also is establishing an identity on the field. He is a first-year starter, but he leads the Big East in sacks (8) and has 45 tackles, 16 quarterback hurries and 10 1/2 tackles for a loss. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds and has quickly become one of the best defensive ends in the country.

His breakout came in the Eagles' 27-14 win against Penn State. Ki- wanuka had two sacks, three tackles, two hurries and batted down two passes --- which is something he specializes in because of his size and leaping ability.

He also recovered a fumble against the Nittany Lions. Last week, he had 2 1/2 sacks in the Eagles' 27-25 win against Notre Dame.

Boston College (5-3, 1-2 in Big East) plays host to No. 25 Pitt (5-2, 2-0) Saturday, and Panthers Coach Walt Harris is well aware of the kind of heat Kiwanuka is capable of bringing.

Meanwhile, Kiwanuka believes the Panthers' struggling offensive line will provide him with plenty of opportunities to shine.

"Looking at their offensive line on film, our defensive line is definitely going to have a great game," Kiwanuka said. "There are definitely some areas we'll be able to exploit. and we have to because that's how you stop their passing game."

Harris said: "He is a beast, he is great athlete, he has long arms and plays extremely hard. He is really tough.

"This guy is not a finesse player either, because he is physical, but he can run. He chased down Rod [Rutherford] last year and kept him from scoring a touchdown late in the game. You call your pass protections with him in mind."

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