Dan Basambombo
| No. 44 Ottawa Redblacks | |
 Basambombo with the Redblacks in 2022 | |
| Born: | May 26, 1997 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| Status | 6-Game Injured |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| University | Laval |
| High school | Franco Cite (ON) |
| CFL draft | 2020, Round: 2, Pick: 19 |
| Drafted by | Ottawa Redblacks |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2021–present | Ottawa Redblacks |
| Career stats | |
| Games | 23 |
| Def. tackles | 0 |
| ST tackles | 6 |
| |
Dan Basambombo (born May 26, 1997) is a Congolese professional Canadian football linebacker for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played U Sports football at Laval and was selected by the Redblacks in the second round of the 2020 CFL Draft.
Early life[edit]
Basambombo was born on May 26, 1997, in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1] He grew up playing soccer before moving with his parents to Canada after he turned 9.[2] Afterwards, he began playing badminton and lived in Ottawa, Ontario.[2][3] He attended Franco Cite High School and was convinced to try out football by his friends after a time there.[2] Basambombo was a member of his first team, the Canterbury Mustangs, starting at the age of 14 in 2011.[4] He played for the Cumberland Panthers of the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL) in 2015, averaging five tackles per game.[4]
University career[edit]
Basambombo began attending Université Laval in 2016.[2] He was the youngest player on their football team and was designated a "project."[2] After seeing very limited playing time in his first two seasons, Basambombo became the starter at linebacker after an injury to Marc-Antoine Verin early in the 2018 season.[2] In his second collegiate start, he posted 11 tackles and two quarterback sacks.[2] Basambombo helped the team compile an undefeated 12–0 record while playing in eight games, as they won 34–20 in the 54th Vanier Cup.[5][2][6] He finished the season with a total of 31.5 tackles and two sacks.[7] In 2019, he sat out due to academic reasons.[8]
Professional career[edit]
Basambombo was selected in the second round of the 2020 CFL Draft with the 19th pick by the Ottawa Redblacks, being a territorial selection from the area given to the Redblacks for being a last place team in the prior season.[3][9] His rookie season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] He signed a contract with the team in February 2021.[5][10] That year, he saw limited action as a special teams player and appeared in five games.[1][7] Basambombo's role increased in 2022, as he played in all 18 games and posted six special teams tackles.[11] During 2023 training camp, he was placed on the six-game injured list with an undisclosed injury.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Dan Basambombo Stats". Pro Football Archives.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Piedboeuf, Guillaume (November 2, 2018). "Dan Basambombo, le diamant brut de Kinshasa" [Dan Basambombo, the rough diamond of Kinshasa] (in French). Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ a b Zlomislic, Jordan (June 6, 2020). ""I've got passion." Ottawa Redblacks draft pick Dan Basambombo is more than excited to play for his hometown team". JZMedia.ca.
- ^ a b Karchut, Elizabeth (August 15, 2015). "Helmets off: Linebacker Dan Basambombo of the OVFL Cumberland Panthers". The Youth Sports Network.
- ^ a b "Redblacks ink pair of 2020 draft picks". 3DownNation.com. February 18, 2021.
- ^ Black, Peter (November 24, 2018). "Laval Rouge et Or down Western Mustangs 34-20 for 10th Vanier Cup title". Global News. The Canadian Press.
- ^ a b c Maki, Brandon (July 12, 2022). "Redblacks Come Together From Far And Wide". Ottawa Redblacks.
- ^ "Redblacks sign pair of draft picks". The Ottawa Citizen. February 20, 2021. p. BS20 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Baines, Tim (May 2, 2020). "Redblacks Happy With Draft Haul". The Ottawa Citizen. p. C6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "RedBlacks Sign Basambombo and Szott". OurSportsCentral.com. February 18, 2021.
- ^ "Dan Basambombo". Canadian Football League.
- ^ 3Down Staff (2023-05-17). "Ottawa Redblacks release eight, including QB Charlie Brewer". 3DownNation. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
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