Former Mountaineer Nick Kwiatkoski Makes Signifiant Contribution to WVU Football

In keeping with the “once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer” mentality, a former WVU football alum decided to give back to the place that gave him an opportunity.

Former West Virginia linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, who played seven seasons in the NFL, recently made a significant leadership gift to WVU’s football program, as first reported by Senior Director of Content for WVU Athletics John Antonik.

Kwiatkoski’s gift earned him entrance to the school’s Summit Society, which recognizes donors who make transformational contributions to Mountaineer athletics.

“WVU had such a big impact on me as a football player and as a person,” Kwiatkoski told Antonik. “With the state of college football these days, it’s always good to give back and help them build what they’re trying to build.”

Kwiatkoski then elaborated further.

“With the state of college football these days, it’s always good to give back and help them build what they’re trying to build, whatever that may be,” he added. “I don’t know all of the ins and outs today and I’m curious to sit down and learn more about it.”

Kwiatkoski grew up just over an hour north of Morgantown in a suburb of Western Pennsylvania. After a solid high school career at Bethel Park High School, Kwiatkoski eventually decided to make the journey down south to West Virginia for college.

At WVU from 2011-15, registered 303 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, six interceptions and two sacks while playing mostly outside linebacker.

Kwiatoski pivoted his strong play as a Mountaineer into a career in the NFL. He was drafted with the 116th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

Overall, Kwiatoski recorded 293 total tackles, seven sacks, eight forced fumbles and two interceptions in the NFL during time spent with the Bears, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons. Kwiatoski even spent 2023 on the practice squad of his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers before calling it a career.