St. Paul'€™s Bellan signs with Millsaps College

St. Paul’s graduate Tony Bellan will be attending Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., a Division III member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, to play football for the Choctaws, the defending conference champions.

Bellan was a three-year defensive starter for the Wolves playing linebacker as a sophomore before moving to defensive end as a junior. As a senior, he was named to the District 7-5A All-District first team and received All-State Honorable Mention.

“My uncle actually went to Millsaps and my parents are from Mississippi. I wanted to stay close to home, and Millsaps has a great business program. I plan on looking into accounting,” Bellan said.

He said he considered attending Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., after making a couple visits.

He also thought about attending LSU as a possible walk on for football.

“Millsaps came up with a better deal. It worked out very well financially for me,” Bellan said.

Bellan, who graduated with a 3.4 grade point average, made an official visit to Millsaps along with his former teammate defensive back Kenny Ray Reeves a few weeks ago.

“We both really liked what we saw. The campus is kind of small with lots of trees around it, which reminded me of St. Paul’s, just larger and co-ed. Their football program is really established so I am ready to go join something like that,” Bellan said.

He said Millsaps graduated their fullback Neil Woodall, a former St. Paul’s player along with their deep snapper so he feels he could fill both of those positions.

Bellan played fullback in the beginning of his St. Paul’s career before moving to linebacker as a sophomore. In his junior year, he made the switch to defensive end because that is where the Wolves’ coaching staff needed him.

Bellan, 6-0, 210 pounds, said he is excited about making the switch back to offense.

He also likes his chances at becoming the team’s deep snapper.

“I don’t have anything against being on the defensive side of the ball, but I’m ready for some kind of change of pace to see how things can work out for me on the offense.

Bellan, who wore jersey No. 44 for the Wolves, named New Orleans Saints’ fullback Mike Carney, who also wears 44 as his favorite professional athlete.

He named the Indianapolis Colts as his favorite NFL team.

“I don’t have anything against the Saints, it’s just that I like the Colts program, and what they have accomplished the past couple of years,” Bellan said.

St. Paul’s head football coach Ken Sears said he is really happy for Bellan.

“Tony is a tremendous young man,” Sears said. “I think he will be real successful at Millsaps. He always played with tremendous heart. He is a great leader, who was a very versatile athlete. He played running back in short yardage situations. He was an outstanding defensive end along with being our deep snapper for four years starting as a freshman.”

“He brings so many gifts and abilities to the table that Millsaps is getting a great athlete, and a really fine person. I’m sure Millsaps will find a way to use his many talents on the field,” Sears added.

Sears described Bellan as a relentless defender.

“He would always pursue from the back side, and would never give up on a play. He very unselfishly moved from his linebacker position to defensive end because that is where we needed him, and he finished out his outstanding career at end.”

Lee Pierre, the Wolves’ defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, characterized Bellan as a great young man with an extremely bright future.

“Tony is a very smart football player, and a great, natural leader. It is exciting to see him have an opportunity to go on and play in college,” Pierre said.

Bellan said he loves to pump iron and enjoys working out. He said his most memorable game in his St. Paul’s career was the Wolves’ 34-26 come-from-behind regional round playoff victory against Higgins as a senior.

“That game was the epitomy of high school football. We were down 26-7, and we made a stellar comeback. I was in shock the whole time. Everything just got in sync around the end of the third quarter. We just got everything together. It was pretty neat,” Bellan said.

Tony is the son of Mike and Jeri Ann Bellan of Mandeville.