New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka is glad to be back in his prefered position and has admitted the flip-flopping between strongside linebacker and defensive end most of his career took a toll on his career.
The Giants’ first-round draft choice in 2006, Kiwanuka has seen his production fluctuate because he could never get comfortable in any one role.
During his first seven seasons, Kiwanuka has started 61 games — 31 on the defensive line and 30 at linebacker. But with his move back to his natural position of defensive end, the former Boston College star thinks he’s primed for a big season.
“It’s great. It’s fun. It’s the position I was kind of born to play, so I’m just having fun being back out here again [and] I think it will have a huge effect,” Kiwanuka told the New Jersey Metro. “Sitting in one room, you can focus on one job and one task. I feel like it puts you in a much better competitive advantage to watch film, to study, to work on your own technique.”
Prior seasons saw Kiwanuka shuttle between the defensive line and the linebacker meeting rooms, as he practiced at both positions.
The US born Ugandan is the first to play professional American football and is the grand son of the first Ugandan prime minister Benedict Kiwanuka.
A durable player who has not missed a game the previous two seasons, Kiwanuka believes he can increase his stats across the board this year simply because he can finally focus on just one spot.
“It’s definitely easier, because you’re not worrying about what you’re missing in the other meeting room and what’s being said and trying to track coaches down in their off time to get all the rest of the information,” Kiwanuka said, adding he’d still play linebacker this season in a pinch. “Whatever this team asks me to do, I’m going to do it. … As long as we get some wins out of this, I’m good for it.”
The Giants hope they won’t need Kiwanuka to make the switch again any time this season, as they’re banking on their linebacker rotation of Keith Rivers, Mark Herzlich, Dan Conner, Aaron Curry, Jacquian Williams and Spencer Paysinger to elevate a unit that struggled with inconsistency and injuries last season.
But if the Giants need a linebacker, head coach Tom Coughlin said he could certainly be tempted to move Kiwanuka back if necessary.
“Sure. The more you can do,” Coughlin said. “Hopefully that won’t be the case, but never say never.”
Coughlin acknowledged he’s noticed a difference in Kiwanuka’s impact during team drills in practice now that he’s at ease with being a full-time defensive end again.
“Sure, absolutely. Just the way he carries himself. He’s worked very hard and it looks like his confidence level is way up there, because he’s got his hand on the ground,” Coughlin said. “I know he’s enjoying it. It’s going to benefit all of us, him moving back to end.”
The 2012-13 campaigned opened with Kiwanuka as the strongside linebacker, but as the season waned, he found himself playing up front more often in the latter part of the season. The flip-flopping hurt Kiwanuka’s performance as he only mustered three sacks last season — which wasn’t any better than the 3 1/2 sacks he had the previous season.
His career high of eight sacks was in 2008 when he was strictly a defensive end, and Kiwanuka thinks he can attain that number again.