Dan Basambombo
{{Short description|Canadian gridiron football player (born 1997)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography
| name = Dan Basambombo
| number =
| team =
| image = 2022, 44, Dan Basambombo.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Basambombo with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2022
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|5|26}}
| birth_place = Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| death_date =
| death_place =
| status = Active
| import = No
| position = Linebacker
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 225
| CIS = Laval
| high_school = École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité
| CFLDraftedYear = 2020
| CFLDraftedRound = 2
| CFLDraftedPick = 19
| CFLDraftedTeam = Ottawa Redblacks
| playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|2021|2023}}
| playing_team1 = Ottawa Redblacks
| playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|2024}}
| playing_team2 = Calgary Stampeders*
| playing_years3 = {{CFL Year|2024}}
| playing_team3 = Ottawa Redblacks*
| career_footnotes =
| career_highlights =
| statlabel1 = Games
| statvalue1 = 23
| statlabel2 = {{abbr|Def. tackles|Defensive tackles}}
| statvalue2 = 0
| statlabel3 = {{abbr|ST tackles|Special teams tackles}}
| statvalue3 = 6
| CFL = dan-basambombo/165744/
| NFL =
}}
Dan Basambombo (born May 26, 1997) is a Congolese-Canadian professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He most recently played 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
Basambombo was born on May 26, 1997, in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/basa00100.html|website=Pro Football Archives|title=Dan Basambombo Stats}} He grew up playing soccer before moving with his parents to Canada after he turned 9.{{Cite web|url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1132966/dan-basambombo-football-universite-rouge-et-or|language=French|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|title=Dan Basambombo, le diamant brut de Kinshasa|trans-title=Dan Basambombo, the rough diamond of Kinshasa|date=November 2, 2018|author=Piedboeuf, Guillaume}} Afterwards, he began playing badminton and lived in Ottawa, Ontario.{{Cite web|url=https://jzmedia.ca/2020/06/06/ive-got-passion-ottawa-redblacks-draft-pick-dan-basambombo-is-more-than-excited-to-play-for-his-hometown-team/|website=JZMedia.ca|title="I've got passion." Ottawa Redblacks draft pick Dan Basambombo is more than excited to play for his hometown team|author=Zlomislic, Jordan|date=June 6, 2020}} He attended Franco Cite High School and was convinced to try out football by his friends after a time there. Basambombo was a member of his first team, the Canterbury Mustangs, starting at the age of 14 in 2011.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tysn.ca/blog/helmets-off-linebacker-dan-basambombo-of-the-ovfl-cumberland-panthers|publisher=The Youth Sports Network|author=Karchut, Elizabeth|date=August 15, 2015|title=Helmets off: Linebacker Dan Basambombo of the OVFL Cumberland Panthers}} He played for the Cumberland Panthers of the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL) in 2015, averaging five tackles per game.
University career
Basambombo began attending Université Laval in 2016. He was the youngest player on their football team and was designated a "project." 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. In his second collegiate start, he posted 11 tackles and two quarterback sacks. 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.{{Cite web|url=https://3downnation.com/2021/02/18/redblacks-ink-pair-of-draft-picks/|website=3DownNation.com|title=Redblacks ink pair of 2020 draft picks|date=February 18, 2021}}{{Cite news|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4695792/laval-rouge-et-or-down-western-mustangs-34-20-for-10th-vanier-cup-title/|newspaper=Global News|agency=The Canadian Press|title=Laval Rouge et Or down Western Mustangs 34-20 for 10th Vanier Cup title|author=Black, Peter|date=November 24, 2018}} He finished the season with a total of 31.5 tackles and two sacks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2022/07/12/redblacks-come-together-from-far-and-wide/|publisher=Ottawa Redblacks|title=Redblacks Come Together From Far And Wide|date=July 12, 2022|author=Maki, Brandon}} In 2019, he sat out due to academic reasons.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82994395/the-ottawa-citizen/|newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 20, 2021|page=BS20|title=Redblacks sign pair of draft picks}} {{Open access}}
Professional career
=Ottawa Redblacks (first stint)=
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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82993851/the-ottawa-citizen/|newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 2, 2020|page=C6|title=Redblacks Happy With Draft Haul|author=Baines, Tim}} {{Open access}} His rookie season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He signed a contract with the team in February 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/redblacks-sign-basambombo-and-szott/n-5668163|website=OurSportsCentral.com|title=RedBlacks Sign Basambombo and Szott|date=February 18, 2021}} That year, he saw limited action as a special teams player and appeared in five games. Basambombo's role increased in 2022, as he played in all 18 games and posted six special teams tackles.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/dan-basambombo/165744/|publisher=Canadian Football League|title=Dan Basambombo}} During 2023 training camp, he was placed on the six-game injured list with an undisclosed injury and was out for the entire season.{{Cite web |author=3Down Staff |date=2023-05-17 |title=Ottawa Redblacks release eight, including QB Charlie Brewer |url=https://3downnation.com/2023/05/17/ottawa-redblacks-release-eight-including-qb-charlie-brewer/ |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=3DownNation |language=en-US}} He became a free agent after the 2023 season.{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/cfl/fannation/news/ottawa-redblacks-2024-pending-free-agents-cfl | title=Ottawa Redblacks 2024 Pending Free Agents | publisher=si.com | accessdate=August 13, 2024}}
=Calgary Stampeders=
On September 9, 2024, it was announced that Basambombo had signed with the Calgary Stampeders.{{cite web | url=https://www.stampeders.com/2024/09/09/stamps-sign-lb-basambombo/ | title=Stamps sign LB Basambombo | publisher=Calgary Stampeders | date=September 9, 2024}} He remained on the practice roster until the end of the season and became a free agent on October 27, 2024, the day after the Stampeders' season ended.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2024/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 20, 2025}}
=Ottawa Redblacks (second stint)=
Basambombo signed with the Redblacks to a practice roster agreement on October 28, 2024, in advance of the team's post-season game.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2024/10/28/redblacks-sign-national-lb-dan-basambombo/ |title=Redblacks sign National LB Dan Basambombo |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=October 28, 2024}} Following the team's East Semi-Final loss, his contract expired and he became a free agent on November 3, 2024.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.ottawaredblacks.com/players/dan-basambombo/165744/ Ottawa Redblacks bio]
- {{commonscatinline}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basambombo, Dan}}
Category:Canadian football linebackers
Category:Laval Rouge et Or football players
Category:Ottawa Redblacks players
Category:Sportspeople from Kinshasa
Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo players of Canadian football