He played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats and was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent after the 2006 NFL draft.
Basanez played high school football at St. Viator in Arlington Heights.
Basanez played college football at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he holds many school records for passing categories, including passing yards (10,580) and total offense (11,576).
His 50 attempts in the game are tied for second, with Kyle Orton and Byron Leftwich in all-time bowls, trailing only Mike Kafka, another Northwestern Wildcat QB.
He was released on August 30, 2008, during final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad on September 3.