Hassanein’s journey from Egypt to the threshold of an NFL career is an incredible story in its own right. In August 2018, he finally relocated to California, where Besch took him in as a full-time resident artist. This change began a thrilling new phase of his life. He would quickly transform from a boy with scant understanding of American football into an elite defensive lineman.
Initially, Hassanein faced significant challenges. But after enrolling at Loara High School, he was soon stuck in a struggling, lower-level football program. But fueled by perseverance, he promised his mother to master the game. Besch provided him with a crash course, explaining the rules and fundamentals of football that many take for granted.
In a bid to hone his newfound skills, Hassanein put himself through a brutal training routine. He woke up at 5 a.m. every day to work out before school, dedicating himself to enhancing his physical prowess. Through conversations about his goals with his brother and Olson, he developed a plan that would stretch him more.
Even with his drive and determination, the learning curve of the newness of the game resulted in some costly penalties during the games. With his inexperience with the rules leading him to drift out of bounds, each contest resulted in at least one penalty for him. This challenge was complicated by the fact that most of his teammates had never played football until ninth grade. The school lacked a youth program to build that base. Every coach at Loara High School covered multiple positions, leaving little room for the one-on-one coaching needed.
In 2024, Hassanein’s dedicated effort bore fruit at last. He registered 9.5 sacks in a season, increasing his career total to 24 all-time and landing at fourth all-time at the school. During his freshman season on campus, he impressed coaches and players alike. Not only did he lift more weight than a lot of the upperclassmen, but he looked like some of the third-year guys on campus.
Boise State’s edge coach Jabril Frazier praised Hassanein’s performance, stating, “He is one of the most violent run defenders we’ve ever had here.” These plaudits from seasoned head coaches would go to show just how much progress he’d made in the short time since his arrival in the United States.
Hassanein’s drive and commitment impressed a number of schools. Prior to committing to Boise State, he had scholarship offers from Fresno State, Duke, Kansas, and Colorado. His decision was based on the exhilarating opportunities. On a personal level, he wanted to show the world what he could do on a bigger stage.
In the fall of 2018, Hassanein immersed herself in football culture. He took a page from NFL superstar Aaron Donald, which he learned by watching film and highlight videos. The clips only increased his desire to pump up his game and mirror Donald’s ferocity on the field.
Besch saw Hassanein’s promise from the beginning. Roger took him to all the various camps, where Hassanein always left his mark on campers from the elite high school pipeline. The fact that he was able to compete at such a high level for so many years is a testament to his dedication and talent.
“It’s surreal to think that we just dreamed this to save Ahmed and get him to the U.S., like ‘Project Mission: Get Ahmed to the U.S.,’ and then it was ‘Mission: Get Ahmed into College,’ and now it’s ‘Mission: Get Ahmed into the NFL,” Gigi reflected on their journey.
Olson echoed her sentiments, emphasizing the significance of Hassanein’s story: “The journey that dude made and the guts that he had to do the things that he did to get to where he is, it is storybook, man.” As he continued in his funny style, “It was almost as if the little dude got yanked off Mars and put on a football field.”
Hassanein’s ascent is an extraordinary personal accomplishment. It causes an immense swell of pride to all those that supported him on that journey. He’s just one player away from becoming the first Egyptian ever drafted into the NFL. This win was not only about his personal victory — it moves, and is moved by, deeply his whole community.
“I was just out there being physical. See ball, get ball.” – Hassanein
“But it’s all surreal because who would’ve thought that Ahmed would be great at being a defensive lineman in American football when literally seven years ago, he was just sitting on the balcony praying that someone would… get him out of this misery.” – Gigi
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