Boise State’s edge rusher, Ahmed Hassanein has officially made history as the first Egyptian ever selected in the NFL draft.
On April 26, 2025, in the sixth round of the draft, the Detroit Lions picked Hassanein on the No. 196 overall pick.
“The odds were stacked against him, mathematically, there’s probably .001 percent chance that something like this is ever going to happen,” said Cory Besch, Hassanein’s half-brother. “It’s a reality for him now and that means it can be the same for somebody else, and all they have to do is believe and have faith.”
Hassanein played in 48 games during his Boise State career, totaling 24.0 sacks, fourth-most in program history.
The edge defender now serves as the 74th player all-time to be drafted to the NFL out of Boise State and 45th since 2000, the most in the Mountain West.
His origin story
Hassanein was born in Anaheim, California but moved to Cairo, Egypt with his family at the age of six where he learned to speak fluent Arabic.
As the violence in Egypt worsened, Hassanein used crossfit as his outlet. He was ranked No. 1 in Egypt and No. 14 in Africa for his age group.
After 10 years living in Egypt, Hassanein was eager to get out and decided to go to a military school called Riverside Academy in the country Georgia.
However, in June 2018, Hassanein’s half-brother, Cory Besch, came to the rescue when he visited Egypt for the first time in 18 years.
“I was a high school football coach and English teacher mentor to young men, so when I visited him, I just felt a call in my heart,” said Besch. “Instead of having him go somewhere where he doesn’t know anybody, I figured it’d be best if he came and lived with me, learned football from me and went to school with me, and then see where we go from there.”
High school career
Shortly after this decision, Hassanein moved in with Besch and he transferred to Loara High School in Anaheim, California as a sophomore.
Besch didn’t have the closest relationship with Hassanein growing up because they lived in different countries for nearly a decade and had a 14 year age gap.
“It was a lot for him because he had to listen to somebody that he didn’t quite have a relationship with because we’d kind of grown apart,” said Besch. “To build that trust was difficult for him. When he got to America, it was just me and him and so he had to take accountability for a lot and become a young man, which I don’t think was easy, and something he definitely wasn’t used to.”
Not only that, but Hassanein knew hardly any English and they had to speak to each other in their own made up language.
“By the time I came to visit, he wasn’t able to communicate with me,” said Besch. “And so getting him enrolled in an ESL [English second language] class, and being an English teacher myself was a lot of practice. We used context clues, charades and a bunch of different funny nicknames for things that were only referenced by him and nobody else. It was definitely a weird learning process, but he learned quickly, just like with football and everything else.”
The duo quickly became inseparable from there.
“I was a part-time father, part-time big brother, part-time coach, teacher, translator, encourager, disciplinarian. All of the above,” said Besch. “But I really focused on helping him transition to understand what the game could do for him on and off the field. I taught him everything from the rules, the operating procedures, all the way up to what the NFL is and how you get there.”
Hassanein began playing his first season of football in 2019 on the junior varsity team and promptly moved up to the varsity team. By his junior year, he was dominating the league.
Recruiting process
Besch played college football with Boise State’s Head Coach, Spencer Danielson at a small Christian University called Azusa Pacific University in California.
“We hadn’t talked for years after I graduated, but knowing that I had a college prospect on my hands, I tried to reach out initially during the recruiting process, but didn’t hear back,” said Besch. “And because of COVID, all the football camps were shut down. All the recruiting visits were shut down. And so Ahmed and I were not sure how we were going to get his name out there.”
The duo ended up finding a football camp that put him against some of the top talent in California.
“He was able to prove that he was the type of player that deserved a scholarship,” said Besch. “Then the offers started rolling in and we were posting video clips on the internet for coaches to see.”
Shortly after, Spencer Danielson reached out to Hassanein about how they were interested in him before even knowing Besch was his brother.
“Once he told him that he was my literal brother, Spencer was extremely excited and got in contact with me,” said Besch. “He had a couple other offers at bigger schools, but I just felt in my heart that Spencer would be the guy to help him grow as a football player and as a man. I knew Boise would be the place to welcome him in the community and could help him reach his NFL goals.”
After a virtual visit right before signing day, Hassanein committed to Boise State on the spot.
Lasting legacy at Boise State
Hassanein came to play for the Broncos in 2021 and appeared in nine games of his freshman season.
He showed tremendous growth within his first two years at Boise State and by his junior year, he was starting in every single game.
“He was a super strong, explosive athlete, but for him, it just took time to put everything together,” said Jabril Frazier, the Broncos edge coach. “Coming into college after only a couple years of high school football, it took him a year to really settle in and then going into his junior year, you really start to see his confidence in himself and that spark.”
Hassanein was a two-time All-Mountain West first team selection and as a senior, earned College Football Network All-America honorable mention and was a finalist for Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year.
“As a teammate, he truly loves his brothers and he showed it in the way he played,” said Frazier. “As a player, he’s extremely physical and passionate about the game, but he also plays extremely hard. I told a lot of NFL scouts that he’s gonna play at 150 percent all the time and what makes him unique is his relentless effort and pursuit.”
The Bronco defense totaled 55 sacks behind Hassanein, the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). In 2023, Hassanein recorded 12.5 sacks, ranking second in the Mountain West, sixth in the NCAA and sixth in program history.
“He’s become one of the most fearsome pass rushers in the entire nation,” said Besch. “And above that, he’s a caring, compassionate and loving man and has been able to share that with his community and teammates. It really comes across in everything that he does, and that couldn’t make me prouder as his brother.”
The next chapter
Hassanein, his family and the rest of his football community at Boise State were left in tears after hearing his name get called for the Detroit Lions.
“Coach, I will die for you. I just want you to believe in me,” Hassanein said to the Detroit Lions coach, Dan Campbell right before getting picked. “I will die on that field for you guys. I promise I will.”
“Watching his name get called across the TV was very emotional because I know all the work he’s put in, and sacrifices he’s made,” said Frazier. “He’s like my little brother and he showed up every single day. He was consistent with his process, and it paid off for him.”
To add to the touching moment, Hassanein got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend, Payson Benne immediately after hearing the news.
“I still don’t know if it’s actually hit me yet that he’s an NFL football player,” said Besch. “But God has a sense of humor because I was claiming it was going to be the Detroit Lions the entire process and even the day of, I was stressing out about when he’s going to get picked and I just said a quick prayer and then literally, a second later is when the Detroit Lions called his name.”
As Hassanein is the first Egyptian NFl draftee, his story serves as an inspiration to his community and beyond.
“It’s a legacy that will never be taken away,” said Besch. “I know that Ahmed wants to inspire the next generation, especially in the Middle East. In that population, football is not well known and he wants to be an ambassador to the sport. From coming to America in hopes of just graduating from high school, let alone playing at the college level, he has really achieved the American dream and is going to continue to chase it. I’m excited to see where he’s going to end up.”
