Steve Bellisari
Encyclopedia
Steve Bellisari is an Arena football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent
in the Arena Football League. Bellisari is best known as an Ohio State University
Buckeye
from 1998 to 2001.
his first year, replaced Joe Germaine
as the Ohio State starting
quarterback in 1999. He had a stellar prep
career at Boca Raton High School,
In contrast to the accurate Germaine, Bellisari is remembered for a tendency to throw interceptions; In truth, Bellisari's interception rate was only 3.82%, lower than more highly appreciated Ohio State quarterbacks Art Schlichter
, Mike Tomczak
, Greg Frey
, or Bobby Hoying. Bellisari experienced an increasingly controversial tenure as Ohio State's starting quarterback, culminating in a two-game suspension at the end of his senior season following an arrest
for drunk driving. He was re-instated to travel with the team to the Outback Bowl
against South Carolina
, where he finished his career as a substitute, leading Ohio State back from a large deficit to tie the game before giving up an interception that allowed South Carolina to kick a winning field goal.
in the 2002 NFL Draft
and converted to safety. After being out of football, in 2005 Bellisari played for the Dayton Warbirds
of the NIFL, an indoor football league, and later moved up to the Manchester Wolves
in the second half of the 2005 af2 season
, leading them into the playoffs with four straight victories to finish out the year. Seldom turning the ball over in his stay with the Wolves, Bellisari was driving the Wolves down the field late in the fourth quarter when he threw his last pass as a Wolf, a game-sealing interception to the Florida Firecats. The final score was Florida 40, Manchester 39.
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in the Arena Football League. Bellisari is best known as an Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
Buckeye
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
from 1998 to 2001.
College career
Bellisari, a special teams player and a defensive backDefensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
his first year, replaced Joe Germaine
Joe Germaine
-St. Louis Rams:Germaine was selected in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He won a Super Bowl ring as a backup to Kurt Warner as a rookie. Germaine appeared in only three games, completing nine passes, and was cut at the end of the 2000 season.-Kansas City...
as the Ohio State starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback in 1999. He had a stellar prep
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
career at Boca Raton High School,
In contrast to the accurate Germaine, Bellisari is remembered for a tendency to throw interceptions; In truth, Bellisari's interception rate was only 3.82%, lower than more highly appreciated Ohio State quarterbacks Art Schlichter
Art Schlichter
Arthur Ernest Schlichter is a retired college and professional American football quarterback, sometimes known for his compulsive gambling and the legal problems especially gambling that arose from it...
, Mike Tomczak
Mike Tomczak
Michael John "Mike" Tomczak is a former American football player. Tomczak played quarterback for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers....
, Greg Frey
Greg Frey
Greg Frey is a former college football player. He is currently a football announcer and high school football assistant coach....
, or Bobby Hoying. Bellisari experienced an increasingly controversial tenure as Ohio State's starting quarterback, culminating in a two-game suspension at the end of his senior season following an arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
for drunk driving. He was re-instated to travel with the team to the Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
against South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
, where he finished his career as a substitute, leading Ohio State back from a large deficit to tie the game before giving up an interception that allowed South Carolina to kick a winning field goal.
Professional career
Bellisari was drafted by the St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
and converted to safety. After being out of football, in 2005 Bellisari played for the Dayton Warbirds
Dayton Warbirds
Dayton Warbirds were an indoor football team located in Dayton, Ohio.- History :Approved as a National Indoor Football League expansion team in October 2004, the Warbirds instead joined other teams in forming the United Indoor Football Association made up of teams that came from either the National...
of the NIFL, an indoor football league, and later moved up to the Manchester Wolves
Manchester Wolves
The Manchester Wolves were a professional arena football team, based at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, which folded at the end of the 2009 season along with the rest of the league...
in the second half of the 2005 af2 season
2005 af2 season
The 2005 AF2 season was the sixth season of the AF2. The league champions were the Memphis Xplorers, who defeated the Louisville Fire in Arena Cup VI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth* Purple indicates division champion...
, leading them into the playoffs with four straight victories to finish out the year. Seldom turning the ball over in his stay with the Wolves, Bellisari was driving the Wolves down the field late in the fourth quarter when he threw his last pass as a Wolf, a game-sealing interception to the Florida Firecats. The final score was Florida 40, Manchester 39.
Manchester Wolves
The Manchester Wolves were a professional arena football team, based at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, which folded at the end of the 2009 season along with the rest of the league...