Belfiore's Headed to C.W. Post

It's safe to say that Glen Cove High School football standout Daniel Belfiore knows a lot about hard work. 

Although Belfiore is now 6-foot, 260 pounds of muscle, he had to put in a huge effort in order to transform his body to what it is today.

"I was always chunky and I was a big ball of fat," Belfiore said with a chuckle. "At eight years old, I had to move up to the nine-ten years old division because of my weight. I didn't get muscular until I was a freshman in high school."

Belfiore explained that he put in the necessary time in the weight room to increase his strength, now benching 350 pounds for a rep and squatting 450 pounds three times. But it was the countless hours that he spent with volunteer coach, Mark Pinini, learning different defensive line techniques and studying tape of his play that made him a tenacious player during his senior year.

"I owe a lot to my head coach Pete [Kopecky], but [Pinini] took me to the next level," the city resident said. "I owe him a lot. I really do. I definitely wouldn't have gotten to the next level without him."

Belfiore earned All-County honors and made Third Team All-State this football season at GCHS. He even played in the Outback Empire State Challenge game last month — which pits the top players from Long Island against the best players from New York City — and he registered a sack in the contest.

His great campaign validated all of his tireless football work. However, Belfiore said, he would gladly exchange anyone of his accolades for a high school championship.

"I would trade in my All-State title for a county ring anytime," he exclaimed, adding that his All-State title means the world to him.

An all-around athlete, Belfiore picked up All-County honors as a Big Red shot putter and he was two wins away from making All-County in wrestling at his weight class. Along with his distinguished athletic résumé, Belfiore also balanced out his high school career with impressive grades.

He will be attending the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville in the fall on partial athletic and academic scholarships. Belfiore noted that everything came to fruition after he spent several late nights studying after long, arduous practices.

"It was hard and I took four AP classes, but I got it done," Belfiore said. "I was usually up to midnight. I can't blame anyone, I chose to do that, but in the end, it paid off."

Although he has enjoyed football success, Belfiore, who will switch to defensive tackle at C.W. Post, said he never once took it for granted because he had to work for everything he has accomplished so far in his life.

"I've always been a little bit of underdog all of my life," he said. "I never really got a chance [early on], so the one I got, I took advantage of it. No one is going to look at me and say I'm awesome. I have to show them."

And there's no doubt that Belfiore will do what it takes to achieve success on the collegiate level, bar none.