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n o r t h w e s t e r n f o o t b a l l • D I G I T A L P R O G R A M • N O R T H W E S T E R N v s . P U R D U E
10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ADETOMIWA ADEBAWORE
By: Skip Myslenski
His father Adeniyi is a prince. "He's the prince of a
village in Nigeria," the son explains. "I don't know the
exact village. I keep forgetting. I need to make sure I
know that when people ask."
The first three letters of the 'Cats given name, Ade,
indicate that he is the male child of a father who has
royal blood. His full given name roughly translates to
"The crown has come to me."
"Basically, that's it," he says.
Whose crown, he is asked.
"My grandfather was the king," he says.
Adebawore himself was born after his
parents came to the United States and
settled in Kansas City. Still, asked if his
African heritage was a large part of his
upbringing, the 'Cat says...
"For sure. My parents really focused on
making sure I got a great education.
Making sure I worked hard. Be
respectful. In African culture, whenever
you see older people, your elders,
you're supposed to kneel down, bow
down, show respect. So when I go out
and meet my parents' friends I have to
respect them. And, like I said, make
sure I work hard and get an education."
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