When Frank Beltre rushed off the practice field partway through a mid-August session, he wasn’t making a beeline for the training room.

He was headed for Dallas.

The Stampeders defensive lineman, born in Azua, Dominican Republic, was about to board a plane to complete the next step towards becoming a United States citizen.

The trip was successful, and No. 94 is now that much closer to acquiring his American citizenship.

“So far pretty much I’ve just taken a written test and a verbal interview and I passed them both,” Beltre said regarding his recent Texas pit stop, where he met with US Citizenship and Immigration Services. “Now the next (step) is that they will evaluate who I am and then after that they’ll send me to another meeting to swear me in as an American.”

Examined on U.S. history and government structure during the written portion and quizzed on his proficiency with the English language throughout the verbal segment, Beltre held a distinct advantage over your typical hopeful American.

“It wasn’t difficult because I grew up in the United States and went to middle school and high school in the United States,” explained the pass-rusher, who was raised in a Spanish-speaking household. “The history, you learn all that in school and it was second nature. But I did study a little bit, though.”

Instead of immediately returning to Calgary, the 26-year-old met his teammates in Vancouver as the Stamps were on the road to face to the BC Lions. The six-foot-two, 246-lb. playmaker would go on to tally one tackle and a forced fumble in the 37-9 win.

Beltre moved to New Jersey with his family as an 11-year-old and attended both middle school and high school in the Garden State. He then accepted a scholarship to Maryland’s Towson University.

Once completing his career with the Tigers of the NCAA’s Colonial Athletic Association, he relocated to the west coast in pursuit of NFL opportunities with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders.

“I have (lived) in the United States for over 12 years now and I never did it because I never had time with football,” said the defender who splits his off-season between Dallas and West Palm Beach, Fla. “I figured that this off-season I would have a little time, so why not do it now?”

Halfway through his third year with the Stamps, Beltre plans on returning to Dallas once the season concludes to take the Oath of Allegiance, an accomplishment already achieved by his parents and two older sisters.

“All of them are (already American),” Beltre noted. “I’m just the last one.”