Kenny Iwebema
Encyclopedia
Kenny Iwebema is an American football
defensive end
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
for the Iowa Hawkeyes
.
in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas
, Iwebema collected a total of 89 tackles
and 15 sacks
. During his senior season, he collected 48 tackles, 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss as he earned first team all-conference and honorable mention all-state honors. He was a three year letterman in football
and also earned two letters in track
playing discus
. He was also named second team all-conference as a junior and was team captain
as a senior.
in 2003
, Iwebema saw action in all 12 games
. However, his playing time was limited as he only recorded three tackles. Two of those were against Minnesota
and the other was in the season-opener against Kent State
.
was Iwebema's breakout season, as he recorded 47 tackles, seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss. His play was so dominant that he was named first team all-Big Ten
by league media and honorable mention all-Big Ten by league coaches. In the game against Iowa State
, he recorded a season-high nine tackles. Three weeks later, against Illinois
, he tied an Iowa record with two field goal
blocks. Against Wisconsin
, Iwebema recorded a season-high in sacks with two as the Hawkeyes became bowl eligible
.
. Injuries plagued him late in the season and he did not see action in the season-opener against Montana due to violating team rules. Against Syracuse
, Iwebema recorded a career-high 11 tackles. He also recorded two tackles for loss, two QB sacks and a forced fumble
as the Hawkeyes won the game in double overtime
. In total, he recorded 27 tackles, four sacks and five tackles for loss on the season.
the Arizona Cardinals
selected him in the 4th round with the 17th pick (116th overall). After becoming a free agent following the 2010 season, he re-signed with Arizona on August 22, 2011. He was released on September 2.
. Subsequently, Iwebema had both a CT scan
and PET scan
done. They found a mass the size of a baseball which had metastasized at an advanced rate since Iwebema's rookie physical which had shown nothing amiss. The tumor was diagnosed as being a non-malignant Teratoma
. Iwebema had surgery on May 18 to remove the mass. So as to avoid possibly sidelining him for the upcoming season, a robotic laparoscope
was used to remove the mass.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
Early years
While at Bowie High SchoolBowie High School (Arlington, Texas)
James Bowie High School is a secondary school in Arlington, Texas. The school is a part of Arlington Independent School District and serves students in grades 9 through 12 in southeast Arlington and southwest Grand Prairie...
in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, Iwebema collected a total of 89 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and 15 sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
. During his senior season, he collected 48 tackles, 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss as he earned first team all-conference and honorable mention all-state honors. He was a three year letterman in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and also earned two letters in track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
playing discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
. He was also named second team all-conference as a junior and was team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
as a senior.
2004
After redshirtingRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 2003
2003 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2003 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2003 college football season. Following a 2002 season that saw the Hawkeyes finish 11-2 with a Big Ten championship, expectations for a third straight post-season game were well warranted...
, Iwebema saw action in all 12 games
2004 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2004 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 2004 college football season. They played their home games in Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz. Finishing the 2003 season with a 10-3 record and an Outback Bowl victory, the Hawkeyes began the season 2-0...
. However, his playing time was limited as he only recorded three tackles. Two of those were against Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and the other was in the season-opener against Kent State
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
.
2005
20052005 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...
was Iwebema's breakout season, as he recorded 47 tackles, seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss. His play was so dominant that he was named first team all-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
by league media and honorable mention all-Big Ten by league coaches. In the game against Iowa State
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
, he recorded a season-high nine tackles. Three weeks later, against Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, he tied an Iowa record with two field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
blocks. Against Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, Iwebema recorded a season-high in sacks with two as the Hawkeyes became bowl eligible
Bowl eligible
Bowl eligibility in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision College Football is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible"...
.
2006
Despite being named to numerous pre-season All America teams, Iwebema took a step back in 20062006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2006 college football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz...
. Injuries plagued him late in the season and he did not see action in the season-opener against Montana due to violating team rules. Against Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, Iwebema recorded a career-high 11 tackles. He also recorded two tackles for loss, two QB sacks and a forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
as the Hawkeyes won the game in double overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. In total, he recorded 27 tackles, four sacks and five tackles for loss on the season.
Career Collegiate Statistics
| Iowa | Defense | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Tackles | T/Loss | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Pass Breakups | |
| 2004 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 12 | 47 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 8 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 11 | 28 | 5 | 3.5 | 1 | 2 | |
| Total | 43 | 106 | 20 | 14.5 | 3 | 4 | |
Arizona Cardinals
On April 27, 2008 in the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
selected him in the 4th round with the 17th pick (116th overall). After becoming a free agent following the 2010 season, he re-signed with Arizona on August 22, 2011. He was released on September 2.
Medical scare
On April 30, Iwebema had a chest x-ray as part of a normal team physical. The x-ray revealed a shadow that doctors were worried might be an aortic aneurysmAortic aneurysm
An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location...
. Subsequently, Iwebema had both a CT scan
Computed tomography
X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
and PET scan
Positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography is nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide , which is introduced into the body on a...
done. They found a mass the size of a baseball which had metastasized at an advanced rate since Iwebema's rookie physical which had shown nothing amiss. The tumor was diagnosed as being a non-malignant Teratoma
Teratoma
A teratoma is an encapsulated tumor with tissue or organ components resembling normal derivatives of all three germ layers. There are rare occasions when not all three germ layers are identifiable...
. Iwebema had surgery on May 18 to remove the mass. So as to avoid possibly sidelining him for the upcoming season, a robotic laparoscope
Laparoscopic surgery
Laparoscopic surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery , bandaid surgery, or keyhole surgery, is a modern surgical technique in which operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions as opposed to the larger incisions needed in laparotomy.Keyhole surgery makes use of images...
was used to remove the mass.