{{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 | 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_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. He previously 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.<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/basa00100.html|website=Pro Football Archives|title=Dan Basambombo Stats}}</ref> He grew up playing soccer before moving with his parents to Canada after he turned 9.<ref name="auto2">{{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}}</ref> Afterwards, he began playing badminton and lived in Ottawa, Ontario.<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto">{{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}}</ref> He attended Franco Cite High School and was convinced to try out football by his friends after a time there.<ref name="auto2"/> Basambombo was a member of his first team, the Canterbury Mustangs, starting at the age of 14 in 2011.<ref name="auto5">{{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}}</ref> He played for the Cumberland Panthers of the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL) in 2015, averaging five tackles per game.<ref name="auto5"/>
==University career== Basambombo began attending Université Laval in 2016.<ref name="auto2"/> He was the youngest player on their football team and was designated a "project."<ref name="auto2"/> 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.<ref name="auto2"/> In his second collegiate start, he posted 11 tackles and two quarterback sacks.<ref name="auto2"/> 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.<ref name="auto1">{{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}}</ref><ref name="auto2"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> He finished the season with a total of 31.5 tackles and two sacks.<ref name="auto3">{{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}}</ref> In 2019, he sat out due to academic reasons.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==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.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> His rookie season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="auto3"/> He signed a contract with the team in February 2021.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> That year, he saw limited action as a special teams player and appeared in five games.<ref name="auto4"/><ref name="auto3"/> Basambombo's role increased in 2022, as he played in all 18 games and posted six special teams tackles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/players/dan-basambombo/165744/|publisher=Canadian Football League|title=Dan Basambombo}}</ref> During 2023 training camp, he was placed on the six-game injured list with an undisclosed injury and was out for the entire season.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He became a free agent after the 2023 season.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
===Calgary Stampeders=== On September 9, 2024, it was announced that Basambombo had signed with the Calgary Stampeders.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name=2024T>{{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}}</ref>
===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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Following the team's East Semi-Final loss, his contract expired and he became a free agent on November 3, 2024.<ref name=2024T/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.ottawaredblacks.com/players/dan-basambombo/165744/ Ottawa Redblacks bio] *{{commonscatinline}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basambombo, Dan}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people 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 Category:Players of Canadian football from Ontario Category:Calgary Stampeders players