Class of 2024 running back Augustine Nkundimana understands the value of hard work. It’s been a trademark in his life and will surely continue as he matures. His work ethic can be traced to his roots in Africa. He was originally born in Burundi, but moved to Tanzania with his parents because of an ongoing war.
Nkundimana lived in a refugee camp for ten years while in Tanzania, where he picked up odd jobs at a very young age to help his family.
“I started working when I was eight years old. It was tiring,” he says humbly. “My dad told me to stop, because it was hard for me, because I was still young. He told me to start working with him, because he would give me lighter work. He owned a motorcycle business, so he would get me to check people’s names off when they brought their bikes back.”
When Nkundimana wasn’t working, he was either attending school or playing soccer, a necessity to get exercise. An incredibly quick striker, he rose to the challenge against older competition.
“There was no football or basketball, so we basically just played soccer. It was all older guys, but I still got into it. We had to make our own league. Every street would pick their best players and they would play. It would go until whoever won the championship. All of the teams would bring money, they’d pool it together and whoever won would take the money.”
Playing footy was a fun pastime for the quiet but gifted athlete, who made friends and gained confidence through the sport. When he moved to Canada five years ago, his athletic ventures expanded thanks to football. In grade six, some of his classmates saw how fast he was and suggested he try the game out.
Admittedly, Nkundimana was scared to play tackle football, so he started with flag where he lined up as a receiver. He had a solid introduction to the game, and in grade ten chose to face his fears by signing up to play on Dakota’s junior varsity team.
“I didn’t like getting hit, but this year I just wanted to try it, so that I could feel like I was taking a risk,” he says. “At first, I thought the pads were going to be heavy, like putting weight on your body, but I honestly loved the game.”
Because of his speed it was natural that Nkundimana chose to run the rock. Offensive coordinator Barry Berard helped him work on his fundamentals, as did his teammates, such as fellow ball-carrier John Boubard, who Nkundimana described as “a second teacher.” It also helped having a dominant offensive line which anchored a Lancers team that averaged 49.25 points per game.
Admittedly, Nkundimana was intimidated at first, but a 54-18 win in week one where he scored three majors helped boost his confidence. The running back stood out due to his speed, vision and one-cut abilities, and he never got tired. He was used as the team’s lead rusher in a three-back set and was also a returner, scoring more than 25 majors on the year, including a whopping six against Vincent Massey in week three.
“There was this thing that sort of switched in his mind right after the first game. There was much more confidence and swagger when he was carrying the ball,” noted head coach Abbas Butt.
“He’s very coachable, and I think that’s what makes him so successful. It’s been a blessing for us, because we ask him to do something and he just goes out and does it.”
Nkundimana was a major reason why the Lancers went undefeated in the regular season, and he didn’t stop in the WHSFL final, scoring four times – twice on the ground, once through the air and once on a return – as Dakota secured their first JV championship with a 55-24 win over Oak Park.
Berard sees Nkundimana’s potential, and feels that he can be the league’s best back at the varsity level over the next two seasons. Butt agrees, noting that it was a “pleasure” watching him turn into a game-changer in year one.
“A kid this young can move like that? That’s what came to my mind. He just all of a sudden decided to play football one year, and how serious and committed he is to the sport now, it’s pretty cool to see that. Just being a part of it has been fun, and I know he’s hopefully going to go very far with his skill. Getting him started at this level has been awesome and I know he’s going to do great things next year at the varsity level.”
And for the young ball-carrier, it’s safe to say that he’s no longer intimidated by the sport.
“It’s taught me how to be patient. I thought I knew everything, but I didn’t. It really means a lot, because it takes a lot of guts to stay with football and play football. I’ve seen other people quit, because it’s a hard sport, so staying with it has taught me a lot about myself.”