Argos Bring Kissing Bandit Aboard

At Central Technical School in downtown Toronto, the Toronto Argonauts welcomed home one of the CFL’s most sought after free agents, Toronto-native DT Adriano Belli. Belli signed a multi-year contract with the Argonauts.

Known around the CFL as the ‘Kissing Bandit’ for his European-style greetings and celebrations, Belli’s dominant play up front has also made him one of the most feared defensive players in the League. In seven CFL seasons, the former East Division All-Star has already played in three Grey Cup Championships, winning one with Montreal in 2002. In five career post-season appearances, he has played in three Division Championships and in 82 regular season games, Belli made 98 DT and 19 QB sacks.

Commented General Manager/Vice President, Football Operations, Adam Rita, “I think this solidifies our defence up the middle and gives us more experience in the position.  His presence allows us to make moves and manipulate our team.  Adriano is a big, strong guy and can hold up in the middle.  In our situation, we thought he was the best free agent available and we are ecstatic to bring him home to Toronto as an Argo.”

Remarked Head Coach Michael “Pinball” Clemons, “There’s no place like home.  Adriano Belli is a home-grown player with tons of talent.  Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Rich Stubler ranked him as his #1 potential free agent.  Big, strong, athletic, energetic and agile – arguably the only thing that exceeds his talent is his personality.  This imposing, physical dynamo will often greet you with a kiss and is a successful and dedicated entrepreneur in his family’s meat packing business.  We are excited to present to you the newest member of the Argo family. Today’s signing is a definitive statement of our commitment to win the Grey Cup again.  And that’s no bologna.”

Of the signing, Belli said, “I am excited to come home.  I have played for many different teams in my professional career but have always wanted to be an Argonaut.  I intend to finish my career as an Argo, hopefully with a few more Grey Cup rings.  With the 2007 Grey Cup game being in my hometown Toronto, this is the best scenario for me.  I am excited to play with a lot of the other Toronto defensive players and bring some excitement to the table, as well as some sausages.”

As one of the greatest players to ever emerge from downtown Toronto’s Central Technical School, Belli carried his team to a Metro Bowl Championship in 1994. As a senior, he was recruited to NCAA Division 1A, University of Houston as one of the two best players in the entire city. Since graduating from Houston, Belli has also attended training camps with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns.

Adriano Belli

Defensive Tackle

6’5”, 289 lbs.

Houston

Born: August 25, 1977

Toronto, Ontario

1^st Year Argo / 7^thYear CFL

Non-Import

Acquired: Signed as a free agent with Toronto on February 19, 2007.

2006: Started at defensive tackle with both the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes… Traded from Hamilton to Montreal on August 28 in exchange for DL Clinton Wayne and DB Phillip Gauthier…Finished the season with 19 DT and 5 QB sacks…Playoffs Started at DT and recorded 2 DT and 1 QB sack in East Championship versus Toronto…Grey Cup Championship Started at DT and recorded 3 DT and 1 QB sack at Winnipeg vs the BC Lions.

2005: Named an East Division All-Star…Started 18 games and two pre-season games at DT…Finished the year with 27 DT, 7 QB sacks and one fumble recovery.

2004: Signed as a free agent with Hamilton on February 23…Started 15 games at DE for the Tiger-Cats…Finished the season with 23 DT, and 2 Tackles for a loss…Had his best outing of the year on September 19 when he recorded 5 DT and 1 QB sack in Saskatchewan…Playoffs Started at DT and recorded 1 QB sack in East Semi-Final loss to Toronto.

2003: Signed with the Cleveland Browns (NFL) on February 10…Attended Browns mini-camp…Released by Cleveland after suffering head injury…Returned to Montreal for the start of the regular season…Played in seven games at DT, missing 11 due to concussion…Finished the season with 9 DT and 1 FF…Playoffs Started at DT and recorded 2 DT in East Championship versus Toronto…Grey Cup Championship Started at DT and recorded 1 DT at Regina vs Edmonton.

2002: Played in all 18 games during the regular season with Montreal, rotating in along the defensive line…Finished the season with 14 DT and 4 QB sacks…Made season-high five DT versus Hamilton on October 20…Playoffs Dressed as backup DT and rotated in vs Toronto in East Championship…Grey Cup Championship Dressed as backup DT and rotated in versus Edmonton, capturing his first Grey Cup championship.

2001: Signed as a free agent with the New York Giants (NFL) on May 15…Saw pre-season action with the Giants before being released…Selected in the 29^th round (229^th overall) in the inaugural XFL draft by the Las Vegas Outlaws…Recorded 3 DT and 2 fumble recoveries in three games with the Outlaws…Returned to BC where he played in two games before being traded to Montreal on October 10 for C Angus Reid and a 5^th round draft pick in the 2002 CFL College Draft…2001 Playoffs Dressed as backup Defensive Tackle and recorded 1 DT versus Hamilton in the East Semi-Final.

2000: Drafted in the first round (6^th overall) by the BC Lions in the CFL Canadian Draft...Signed as a free-agent with the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) on April 17...Attended Falcons training camp and released during pre-season.

College: Played four seasons (1996-99) with the University of Houston Cougars...Finished career with 101 total tackles (47 solo), including 12 for losses...Also had five quarterback sacks and one pass knock down…1999 Started all 11 games as a senior at the University of Houston and made 23 tackles (17 solo) including two for a loss, and 2 QB sacks...1998 Started 11 games at defensive end, and made 53 tackles, including 20 solo...Finished second on the team with 4 QB sacks...Recorded six tackles for losses of 20 yards…1997 Played in all 11 games for the Cougars...Made 22 tackles (7 solo)...1996 Played in five games during his freshman year, recording three solo tackles, including one for a loss of two yards.

Personal: Nicknamed the “Kissing Bandit”, Belli grew up in Toronto. His family runs Mariposa Meats, a meat distribution and packing firm based in Mississauga. He attended Central Tech High School in Toronto and was an active member of their football team. As a senior, he was declared to be one of the top two football players in the city. In 1994, he played in the Metro Bowl but lost to Northern Secondary School.