It's difficult to remember the play, considering it was the first game of the season, but do you remember the very last play of Game 1 in 2008? Chris Samuels got beat by Mathias Kiwanuka and appeared to either dive or fall on the back of Kiwanuka's ankle, nearly injuring him in the process. In the aftermath, Kiwanuka declared the play dirty. Despite what I said above and the fact that it's been three months, Kiwanuka himself has not forgotten the play. He is also making sure everyone knows that he's not going to go out and pick a fight or play dirty himself:
"That was the last image I had, the last play, the last image I had for the whole game, so, yeah, it will be in the back of my mind, but I am not going to do anything stupid."A refreshing stance, to say the least. Too often in football, guys get caught up in some chest-pounding act of pride, where the individual battle becomes more important than the game as a whole. The game within the game, cliche-speak says, develops and players lose focus on the ultimate goal of winning the football game. It sounds like Kiwanuka has forgiven, but not forgotten.
"You don't want to focus on it? No. There are so many other things," Kiwanuka said. "I think you use it as a motivating factor and past that you just let it go."
Will he use some of that memory to torch Samuels for a multiple sack game? We'll see Sunday, but you know he's going to be focused.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-28-2008 @ 6:02PM
Sports Fan said...
That's focus.
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11-28-2008 @ 8:22PM
redskinsfan said...
No thats a crybaby. chris didnt do anything wrong, so it appeared to some he did. It appeares to me he saved his Quarter back from taking a cheap shot in a game that was over. It was the final play why let some jerk take out your starting quarterback.
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11-28-2008 @ 9:19PM
A.J. said...
Er...it's rather convenient that Mathias Kiwanuka chooses to steer clear of the fact that a certain running back knocked him on his ass in that same game. I'd keep an eye out on Kiwanuka if I were the refs. It's not exactly a secret that Samuels has been playing through loose bodies in his knee this year.
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11-29-2008 @ 12:31AM
Sports Fan said...
Maybe Chris (I'm in awe that you personally know him) will play more carefully also. I hope so.
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11-29-2008 @ 4:56PM
Karen said...
C'mon Sports Fan, don't hate. Redskinsfan might just know Chris because I do, but I call him Big Sam. Our team makes themselves quite available to the community & met him first when my daughter was a Junior Redskinette and we had to practice every Saturday @ FedEx with the Redskinettes. When my nephew broke his neck playing football (this goes back a few years) retired Roy Jefferson met me @ Fairfax Hospital and spent 2 hours with my nephew. Joe Gibbs called him in his room & other players came to visit too. So yes... you can be in awe of all Redskin's fans.
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