Michael Basinger

Michael Joe Basinger (born December 11, 1951) is an American former professional football player. He played college football as a defensive lineman for the Gavilan Rams and UC Riverside Highlanders. After college, he was a member of the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He only appeared in one NFL game, with the Packers.

Early life Basinger was born on December 11, 1951, in Merced, California. He attended Los Banos High School where he played football and baseball. He played as a defensive lineman in football and helped Los Banos to a co-share of the Mountain Valley Conference title as a senior in 1969, being selected first-team all-league. Basinger initially accepted a football scholarship to play for Abilene Christian College, but ended up not attending there and instead enrolled at Gavilan College in 1970.

College career At Gavilan, Basinger played both football and baseball. He was used as a defensive lineman and placekicker in football, while he played as an infielder in baseball. He was also a junior college All-American.

After two years at Gavilan, Basinger transferred to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 1972. Shortly after deciding on UTEP, he decided that he did not like the school and transferred to the University of California, Riverside, where he joined Wayne Howard, his football coach from Gavilan. He was used at each defensive line position and played two years under Howard at UC Riverside as a starter, being named the team's most valuable lineman each year, despite being limited by a shoulder injury suffered in a car crash in 1972. He said that prior to his senior season, after performing poorly in front of scouts and due to financial issues, he considered quitting football. He impressed coach Dan Devine and initially made the final roster for the 1974 season. He made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, but was released three days later, stating that he was "puzzled" at the team's decision. After being released by the Packers, he signed with the Manitowoc County Chiefs of the Central States Football League, helping them reach the league championship.

In the off-season, Basinger worked as a grocery store manager in Stockton, California. However, on July 20, 1975, he announced his retirement from professional football. He finished his NFL career having appeared in one game.