Former defensive back, Mike Bass, is considered one of the finest defensive backs to ever play for the Washington Redskins.

Bass was born March 31, 1945, in Ypsilanit, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. He attended the local high school, where he excelled both academically and athletically, gaining all-state honors in football and track. Mike Bass has experienced almost everything an athlete could hope for. He earned a college scholarship, played in the NFL 1967-1976, was coached by Vince Lombardi and George Allen, was on an NFC championship team, earned All-NFC honors, played in the Super Bowl, scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl, and was voted one of the 70 Greatest Redskins.

Mike Bass entered the University of Michigan in 1963, on a football scholarship and was a member of the victorious Wolverines team in the 1965 Rose Bowl. During his sophomore year, Bass was switched from running back to defensive back and became a starter his junior year. Mike Bass graduated from U of M in 1967, with a B.A. degree in Education, majoring in psychology.

In 1967, the Green Bay Packers, who were coached by Vince Lombardi, drafted Mike Bass as a defensive back. Released on the last cut, Bass was picked up by the Detroit Lions and spent 2 years on its taxi squad. In 1969, Mike Bass signed with the Washington Redskins and was reunited with Coach Lombardi when Lombardi came out of retirement.

In 1971, George Allen became head coach of the Redskins and Mike Bass had one of his most successful seasons. He led the National Football Conference of the NFL in interceptions with 8. In 1972, Bass played in Super Bowl VII against the Miami Dolphins and returned an interception of a Garo Yepremian pass 49 yards for a touchdown. In 1974, Bass was selected All-NFC first team. In 1976, he retired from professional football, and, in 1979, moved to the Bahamas. Mike Bass spent the next 18 years (1979-1997) in the Bahamas, operated his own business, taught American football, and coached several local football teams.

In 1997, Bass returned to the United States and took a position with the University of Florida in the Office of Academic Support and Institutional Services (OASIS.) As an administrative assistant and counselor, Bass provided both academic and personal counseling services to students and also supervised the OASIS Tutoring Program.

In 2002, Mike Bass was selected as one of the "70 Greatest Washington Redskins Players" of all time. During a special "Gala", Bass joined other Redskins "Greats" as the entire Washington, D.C. area celebrated this momentous occasion. Other honorees included Sonny Jurgenson, Sam Huff, Brig Owens, Ken Houston, Sammy Baugh, Pat Fischer, Billy Kilmer, Larry Brown, Charley Taylor, Bobby Mitchell, Joe Theisman, Joe Gibbs, and George Allen.

Mike Bass is an entrepreneur and independent consultant on offshore investments. Also, he is a highly sought-after motivational speaker and occasionally appears at card shows and autograph-signing events. Information pertaining to personal appearances can be found elsewhere on this site.