McKeesport’s Prince reaches goal of a career in professional sports
Prince, 28, didn’t take the traditional route to a career in professional football. After graduating from West Mifflin High School as a three-sport athlete in 2008, he chose to pursue his first love.
“I’ve always loved basketball,” Prince said. “I picked up basketball when I was about 5 years old; it was the first sport I ever played. … I felt, at the time, it was the direction that I wanted to go.”
He ended up playing three seasons at Penn State Greater Allegheny, then a fourth at Penn State Beaver. Despite his commitment to basketball, Prince said he always kept football in his life, even playing flag football in college. After an unsuccessful attempt at finding an agent to pursue a basketball career overseas, Prince decided to pivot back and give football another try.
Prince didn’t know how to begin that process, but caught a break. He connected with Sto-Rox head football coach LaRoi Johnson, who spent several years playing indoors. Johnson helped Prince get an invite to the Steel City Super Combine, and from there Prince signed with one of Johnson’s former teams, the Erie Explosion.
That wasn’t quite Prince’s breakthrough, though. His time in Erie was short-lived, and in 2014, he ended up back in Pittsburgh playing semi-pro football. For two years, he spent time at several positions — quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back and special teams — in order to build the film résumé he didn’t have from college.
“I wanted to showcase that I could do it all,” Prince said. “I was just trying to give myself any opportunity that, if I could slide through the cracks and get a chance, they could see that I’m an iron-man player and actually play both sides of the ball.”
This time, the plan worked. Prince got a call from the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the developmental National Arena League. He turned that workout into a contract and spent two seasons with the team.
He nearly broke into the AFL with the Cleveland Gladiators after his first season with the Steelhawks, but that opportunity fell through in the wake of a coaching change. In his second season, after leading the league in receiving yards per game and finishing second in receiving touchdowns, Prince finally got his chance. The Soul came calling ahead of the Arena League playoffs.
Injuries had thinned Philadelphia’s depth at wide receiver, so Prince was thrust into action for the two biggest games of the year. He delivered, helping the Soul repeat as AFL champs and totaling nine receptions, 103 yards and three touchdowns in two playoff games — something he believes was only possible because of the confidence the team had in him.
“[Philadelphia head coach Clint Dolezel] told me, ‘I wouldn’t have signed you if I didn’t believe in you, so just go play the game. Try not to think too much — I know this is new to you, but just go make the play. We believe in you,’” Prince said. “Coach Dolezel stuck with me and made me a part of the game plan early, so when my number was called, I just tried to make good plays.”
His success didn’t stop after the Soul’s 44-40 win over the Tampa Bay Storm. In his first full season with Philadelphia, Prince leads the AFL in receptions (89), while ranking second and third in yards (1,076) and touchdowns (24).
Prince believes he’ll only improve as he continues to better understand coverages and how to adjust his routes. That confidence is a big reason he believes the AFL might just be a stop in his journey toward a shot in the CFL or NFL.
Even if it isn’t, he’s enjoyed the journey — and he’ll always have the crown he earned last year to show for it.
“Everything from the time I signed with Lehigh until now is a plus for me,” Prince said. “I don’t want to look back on life and think ‘What if?’ … As long as I know that I stepped onto the field and gave it my all, whatever the results may be at the end of the day, I can live with that.”