Editing Dikembe Mutombo (section)

==College career==
Mutombo attended [[Georgetown University]] on a [[USAID]] scholarship. He originally intended to become a doctor, but the [[Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball|Georgetown Hoyas]] basketball coach [[John Thompson (basketball)|John Thompson]] recruited him to play basketball.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tam|first=Eva|title=Dikembe Mutombo on Life After the NBA|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2013/11/07/dikembe-mutombo-on-his-life-after-the-nba/|access-date=March 3, 2016|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=November 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Vivlamore|first=Chris|title=Mutombo's humanitarian efforts greater through basketball|url=http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/basketball/mutombos-humanitarian-efforts-greater-through-bask/nncXL/|access-date=March 3, 2016|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=September 10, 2015}}</ref> He spoke almost no English when he arrived at Georgetown and studied in the [[English as a second language|ESL]] program.<ref>{{cite news|last=Moran|first=Malcolm|title=Strong Hoya Defense Defeats Connecticut|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/01/sports/strong-hoya-defense-defeats-connecticut.html|access-date=March 3, 2016|work=The New York Times|date=March 1, 1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Heath|first=Thomas|title=Beyond hoop dreams|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/04/06/beyond-hoop-dreams/d8fe2dd0-f263-43fb-a5cd-0d1fb5421877/|access-date=March 3, 2016|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 6, 1995}}</ref>

During his first year of college basketball as a sophomore, Mutombo once blocked 12 shots in a game.<ref>{{cite news|last=Powell|first=Shuan|title=Mutombo: Protector of the paint and his homeland|url=http://archive.nba.com/2015/news/features/shaun_powell/09/04/dikembe-mutumbo-2015-hall-of-fame/index.html|access-date=March 3, 2016|publisher=NBA|date=September 10, 2015}}</ref> Building on the shot-blocking power of Mutombo and teammate [[Alonzo Mourning]], Georgetown fans created a "Rejection Row" section under the basket, adding a big silhouette of an outstretched hand to a banner for each shot blocked during the game.<ref>{{cite news|last=Davis|first=Ken|title=Georgetown Has an Impenetrable Wall With Mourning, Mutombo|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-12-sp-2954-story.html|access-date=March 3, 2016|work=[[Hartford Courant]]|via=Los Angeles Times|date=February 12, 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Wolff|first=Alexander|author-link1=Alexander Wolff|title=Two centers of attention|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1989/03/20/119563/two-centers-of-attention-big-east-champ-georgetown-is-doubly-blessed-in-the-pivot|access-date=March 3, 2016|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=March 20, 1989}}</ref> Mutombo was named the [[Big East Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year|Big East Defensive Player of the Year]] twice, in 1990 (shared with Mourning) and in 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Men's Basketball Records – All-Big East Teams|url=http://www.bigeast.org/reference/records/mbball/awards.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021117121820/http://www.bigeast.org/reference/records/mbball/awards.asp|website=bigeast.org|archive-date=November 17, 2002|access-date=May 29, 2020}}</ref>

At Georgetown, Mutombo's international background and interests stood out. Like many other Washington-area college students, he served as a summer intern, once for [[Robert Matsui]], a member of the [[Congress of the United States]] from California, and once at the [[World Bank]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Love|first=Lawrence|title=Man Cannot Fly in the House of Mutombo|url=https://www.gq.com/story/man-cannot-fly-in-the-house-of-mutombo-the-qa|access-date=March 3, 2016|work=GQ|date=November 20, 2009}}</ref> In 1991, he graduated with [[Bachelor of Arts|bachelor's degrees]] in [[linguistics]] and diplomacy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Basketball Star Dikembe Mutombo on Sports, Leadership|url=https://youngafricanleaders.state.gov/basketball-star-dikembe-mutombo-on-sports-leadership/|access-date=March 3, 2016|publisher=United States Department of State}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesleader.com/sports/1581358/dikembe-mutombo-has-always-made-things-better-on-and-off-the-court|title=Dikembe Mutombo has always made things better ... on and off the court|last=Jolley|first=David|date=October 22, 2022|website=Times Leader}}</ref>