Adriana Falconi
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| No. 3 – Tijuana Luchadores | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 06, 2002 (aged 60) Siena, Tuscany, Italy |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Liceo Monna Agnese |
| College: | Columbia |
| ISFL Draft: | 2025 / Round: N/A / Pick: N/A |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Adriana Falconi (born September 6, 2002) is an American football quarterback for the Tijuana Luchadores of the Development Simulation Football League (DSFL). She played college football for Columbia University before entering the professional ranks in 2023.
Early years
Falconi was born and raised in Siena, Italy. Her parents, Giovanni Falconi and Cristina Pennetta, are well-known in Siena for their restaurant Il Civetta, located in the center of the city. They claim to serve the best pizza in the city - which is something believed by many tourists but few locals. Adriana has a brother, Mateo, who is 12 years her senior.
Football popularity skyrocketed in Italy with the creation of the NSFL, and the Falconis have always called themselves Yellowknife Wraiths fans, originally following them because of their intriguing location and staying fans for the constant quality of their rosters. Like in most countries, the sport was limited to boys, however, so it was difficult for Falconi to practice it. It's only when her brother joined the coaching staff of their local team that she got a chance to play. During all her years playing in her home country, her team always made the playoffs.
College career
Although football was her passion, Falconi never truly believed she could make it professionally. She attended the Polytechnic University of Milan, studying engineering for a year, before applying for a scholarship at Columbia in New York City, which she obtained based on academic merits. Inspired by the career of other women in the NSFL, Falconi tried out to be a part of Columbia's football team. Because of the success of other women in the NSFL, university programs were more willing to accept female players in their ranks, especially schools like Columbia. Even if she was rusty after not playing for a year, the level of play was pretty limited and she easily got the starting job. She started a total of 8 games for Columbia before moving on to the DSFL.
In 2023, Falconi declared for the upcoming DSFL draft. Unclaimed on waivers, she was eventually signed by the Tijuana Luchadores. Due to the abundance of quarterbacks on the team, she got no starts in her first season but did get some playing time. She made her debut against the San Antonio Marshals in a 13-31 loss. The Luchadores won the S8 DSFL Championship, making Falconi an Ultimini Champion despite her limited playing time.
During the 2024 DSFL entry draft, the Luchadores traded up to draft Achilles Hondo second overall, and used the fourth overall selection to pick Falconi. After she exchanged some comments with Portland Pythons quarterback Joliet L. Christ during a DSFL pre-draft media day, DSFL enthusiasts are hoping for a rivalry between the two.
College career statistics
| Career statistics | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2023 (S8) | TIJ | 4 | 17 | 31 | 54.8% | 198 | 6.38 | 0 | 0 | 74.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 (S7) | COL | 8 | 234 | 321 | 72.9% | 3210 | 13.71 | 31 | 5 | 74.4 | 28 | 45 | 1.61 | 2 |
