Today’s Countdown subject shares a name with Egyptian diplomat, explorer, and Olympic fencer, Ahmed Hassanein. So, on this day, 91 days in advance of Washington, let’s explore:

#91, Ahmed Hassanein, Junior, Defensive Tackle

Credit: Broncosports.com

Stats

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 271 lbs

High school: Loara High School (Anaheim, CA)

How’d he get to The Blue™?

Born in the OC, Ahmed moved to Egypt when he was 6. After some turbulent times in his teens, Ahmed moved back to the US to live with his older brother, Cory Besch, a football coach and instructional aide at Loara High. Besch had played his college ball with Spencer Danielson, which gave the Broncos an inside track recruiting the quick-learning Hassanein. Despite his lack of experience in the sport, Ahmed was built for football. He was 6’3″, 270lbs, and had competed in national Crossfit competitions in Egypt.

There was no shortage of offers for the 3-star defensive lineman, but in the end he chose Boise State because of his relationship with Coach Danielson. If you’d like to get a visual sample of his on-field exploits, those can be viewed here.

Nickname

“The Hassassin”

Believe it or not, I actually was NOT inspired to go with this nickname because of the historical origins of the word “assassin” (hashashin), although that is an absolutely fascinating rabbit hole to go down, if you feel so inclined! I’m much more simple than that, though. I just thought it sounded cool…

Look-alike

Credit: Voicesfilm.com

A far more jovial-looking Tuco Salamanca (played by Raymond Cruz)

Career Highlights

Played in just enough games as a true freshman to get some experience, but not enough to burn his redshirt. Spent significantly more time on the field in his sophomore year, where he played in 13 games and started three. He racked up 13 tackles and two sacks from the DT position.

2023 Prospectus

I expect that Ahmed and Herbert Gums will make a formidable pairing as the center of the Broncos’ front seven. Where Gums is built more like a nose, Ahmed can complement by generating pressure up the middle. I anticipate big things for The Hassassin in 2023!

Is he on Twitter?

Yes. And where other members of the team almost exclusively retweet, Ahmed spices things up a little with some actual quote tweets!

Completely made up fact

Ahmed is hiding a secret behind that smile. He–and only he–has been entrusted with the knowledge, passed down from antiquity, about what really happened to The Great Sphinx’s nose

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