‘I want to give back.’ Why mentorship defines Argos linebacker Henoc Muamba

He’s a father of three and a three-time Canadian Football League all-star known for his work ethic and resiliency.

Argonauts linebacker Henoc Muamba has piled up credit, on and off the field, over the course of his 11 seasons in the league. But the 33-year-old from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, will tell you that he wouldn’t be with the Argos — or in football at all — if it weren’t for his mentors.

“I know and understand the power of mentorship,” said Muamba, who is preparing with the Argos for the CFL’s East final against the Alouettes on Sunday. “To be honest, I feel like I’ve accomplished way more than I ever thought I would, and a lot of that is attributed to the people who have mentored me over the years. And so I want to give back and be able to do the same for other people.”

Muamba’s experiences with mentorship amount to more than a player or coach taking him under their wing. Muamba’s life has been, in part, defined by it, and he is currently involved in several programs hoping to do the same for others. They range from a pair MLSE initiatives, his mentorship program called Eagle Vision, and speaking engagements at schools, churches and prisons. Then there’s his podcast, “Muamba Moments,” his work with the Red Door Family Shelter and Athletes in Action and future plans for his own foundation.

Muamba was nominated as the Argos’ representative for the Jake Gaudaur Award, which is handed out annually by the CFL to the player who “best demonstrates the attributes of Canada’s veterans in times of war, peace and military conflict.”

Speaking after a weight-training session during the Argos’ off-week, Muamba was emotional when recalling how as a student at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, his low confidence changed after coach Gary Waterman encouraged him to take a leading role with the university team.

Muamba said that encouragement came after his rookie season, when he underperformed. But after seeing his work ethic, the coaching staff told him that they wanted to build the defence around him. Muamba’s confidence climbed from there. The next year, Waterman called him into his office and asked him to speak to a kid named Josiah.

“He was in a lot of trouble, he was giving so much grief to his teachers,” Muamba recalled. “We didn’t do much, I’m not a teacher, but we’d talk about his classes, his favourite courses, his home, his friends, my journey, how I got to St. FX. It maybe lasted 45 minutes a couple of times a week. We’d just talk, and it had that impact.

“The principle at Josiah’s school came back to me and said it’s changed Josiah’s life around. I said to myself, ‘Wow, if that’s what it takes, then I should do more of this.’ ”

Waterman has known the Muamba family since the mid 2000s and they remain good friends. Waterman remembers Muamba’s ability to listen to people.

“He also has a bit of a joker in him, and people appreciate how he is with them,” Waterman said. “When I came to coach at St. FX, he and his brother (Calvin) were people I wanted to bring here. They’re quality players and quality people.”

Muamba was drafted first by Winnipeg in 2011 and his role as a mentor continued to blossom. Through Blue Bombers chaplin Lorne Korol, he began speaking to other troubled youth. While he had several stops throughout his career, including 13 games in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, his community work carried with him when he came to Toronto two seasons ago.

Now, in addition to all his speaking and mentorship initiatives, Muamba discusses moments that made people successful with guests on his podcast, which has included appearances from Argos GM Pinball Clemons and former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

While he surrounds himself with inspiration, Muamba’s biggest life lessons come from his wife, Jessica. The pandemic created new challenges for the couple when the CFL suspended the 2020 season. Jessica was pregnant with their third child and Muamba had no direct income outside his investments.

During that time, Jessica suffered the loss of her mother, Elizabeth, who was like a third parent to their daughters.

Muamba says it was Jessica who “showed me what real strength is, watching her go through that, the passing of her mother, and knowing there wasn’t anything I could do to take the pain away. She was going through pregnancy, and she was going to school to become a doctor. I talk about going through life, but I’m extremely blessed to have someone at home like that for me.”

Beyond his goals of reaching the Grey Cup this season, Muamba is focused on creating the Muamba Foundation. The inspiration comes from kids from the Congo who have reached out to him. He hopes he can help bring football, mentorships, hospitals, and schools to his homeland.

“If we can all think about other people a little bit more, the world would be a better place.”

Mark Zwolinski is a Toronto-based sports reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @markzwol