Essang Bassey


Essang Bassey is an American football defensive back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He played college football at Wake Forest, and played high school football at Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia.

High school career

Playing both offense and defensive at Columbus High School in Georgia, Bassey split time between cornerback, wide receiver and running back. He also was an explosive kick returner, averaging 30 yards per return during his senior season. Bassey considered interest from Wofford, Tulane, Georgia Southern and Wake Forest until going to Winston-Salem for a camp and committing to Wake Forest three days later, citing the program's passion for the game and standards off the field.

College career

Bassey received playing time during his true freshman season in every game in a reserve capacity, accruing 17 tackles.
As a sophomore, Bassey led the Wake Forest defense in snaps played and collected 66 tackles and three interceptions. He was also named an honorable mention on the All-ACC team after the season.
During his junior season, analysts noted his speed and technique as strong points of his game. Bassey was named second team All-ACC.

Professional career

Bassey signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent on April 25, 2020.