Albany Empire signs slew of veterans on opening day
Veterans join local rookies Jordan Canzeri, Wes Hansen for local AFL franchise
ALBANY, N.Y. » The Albany Empire announce that sixteen players have been assigned to the team roster on the opening day of free agency. Per League and team rules, terms are not disclosed. Of the 16 players assigned, The Empire landed seven league veterans with All-Arena honors. The free agency signing period for the Arena Football League began at 7 a.m. on Monday March 19.
“Today was monumental for the Empire organization,” said Rob Keefe, Head Coach of the Albany Empire. “We have been seeking out the best talent for months, and it’s great to finally be able to bring them all together. We, as a staff, are confident that these players will not only showcase some of the best talent that the league has to offer, but compete as one of the premier teams in the Arena Football League. We have built a solid foundation on Day One.”
Paul Browning, WR
Paul Browning joins the Empire with two years of Arena Football experience under his belt. After brief stints in the 2015 offseason with the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers, Browning found him- self playing for the Orlando Predators under current Empire Head Coach, Rob Keefe. His tenure under Keefe was only a year, before he moved onto the Cleveland Gladiators in 2017. He was traded to the Baltimore Brigade where he played the full year at the wide receiver position for the team’s inaugural season. Browning is originally from Colorado where he holds the record for all time receiving yards and touchdowns at Colorado Springs High School.
Darryl Cato-Bishop, DL
Darryl Cato-Bishop is an All-Arena veteran with three years of
league experience to his name. After a successful career at North Carolina State University, CatoBishop was invited to rookie minicamps for both the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. Released in the offseason, he made his AFL debut with the Los Angeles Kiss in 2015. He spent the 2016 playing under Coach Keefe on the Orlando Predators and led the league in tackles for losses and was named to the All-Arena second team. In 2017, he played with the Cleveland Gladiators where he led the league in strip sacks.
Oshay Dunmore, DB
Making his debut in the AFL in 2018, Oshay Dunmore joins the Empire following an accolade-filled collegiate career. He began at the University of Oregon as a two-sport athlete, being a member of both the football and track and field teams. After two years as an Oregon Duck, he transferred to Illinois State University to focus on his football career. In 2014 Dunmore led Illinois State to a school best record of 13 wins and two losses. This season was ended by a loss to a Carson Wentz led North Dakota State in the National Championship. The following year, he transferred to Southern Oregon University and once again helped lead his team to an- other National Championship game.
Alvin Ray Jackson, LB
2018 will not be the first time that Alvin Ray Jackson has played arena football at the Times Union Center. Jackson was a member of the Albany Firebirds in 2009 playing in the AF2 where he held the record for most interceptions in a single game (5). Jackson was an all- conference player in both of his years at Albany State University in Georgia in 2003 and 2004. He led the Rams to back to back conference championships during his tenure. After graduation, Jackson made his debut in the AF2 playing for the South Georgia Wildcats. After leaving Albany, Jackson bounced around the Arena Football League, being named to the All-Arena team three times throughout his career.
Malachi Jones, WR
Entering his second season in Arena Football, Malachi Jones played for the High Country Grizzlies in the National Arena League in 2017. Jones was named offensive rookie of the year in the team’s inaugural season. He attended Appalachian State University, where he starred beginning in his freshman year. Jones was named as an All- Conference and All-American player at the FCS level and helped lead the Mountaineers to their first ever bowl game win in 2015. He has had workouts with numer- ous NFL teams and is looking forward to the opportunity to play professional level football in the Capital Region.
Trevor Kennedy, WR
Trevor Kennedy instantly connected with Coach Keefe after discovering they shared the same Alma Mater at Mercyhurst College. While at Mercyhurst, Kennedy was named first team All-Conference in both 2010 and 2011. He led all of division II with 126.7 receiving yards per game and was named All-America honors in 2011. After capping his collegiate career off with a championship, Kennedy had a shot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before suffering an injury setback. He then moved to the Canadian football league where he spent 2013 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He returned to the states in 2016 and played two years in Spokane, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors in his debut season.
Dave Lefotu, OL
Dave Lefotu is entering his third season playing arena football. A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Lefotu spent his debut year playing with the Spokane Empire in the Indoor Football League. In 2016, Lefotu was named first team All-IFL and helped lead his team to a conference championship. He spent 2017 playing with the Tampa Bay Storm. Shawn Lockett, OL
Shawn Lockett made his AFL jump mid-season last year with the Philadelphia Soul. Prior to being moved up, Lockett spent the past two seasons playing for the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks under current Empire Offensive Coordinator, Chris Thompson. Hailing from Springfield, Massachusetts, Lockett is looking forward to having his friends and family make the short commute to Albany to watch him play in an Empire uniform.
Lance McDowdell, DL
Lance McDowdell comes to Albany after spending last season with the Colorado Crush in the Indoor Football League. A New York native, McDowdell played his collegiate football at the University of Central Florida. In his senior year at UCF, McDowdell started nine of the team’s 12 games and posted 36 tackles, including four for a loss of yards.
Max Nacewicz, DL
Max Nacewicz is the second Springfield, Massachusetts native to join the Albany Empire. He attended Springfield University where he set the single season records for sacks and tackles for losses. He was an All-American and ECAC Division III North All- Star in 2014; Springfield’s first All-American in nearly a decade. After graduating, Nacewicz attended various NFLworkouts. After a brief stint in Montreal, Nacewicz found himself on the Tampa Bay Storm, where he was one of one a few rookies selected on the team.
Bret Piekarski, OL
Bret Piekarski made a brief stop in the AFL in 2017, joining the Cleveland Gladiators for the playoffs. He attended St. Cloud State University where he played all four years and received first team All-American and All- Conference honors. He joined the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks for the 2017 season where he was named second team All-NAL and helped lead his team to the championship game.
Varmah Sonie, DB
Varmah Sonie is an AFL veteran with multiple AllArena honors to his name. He began his arena football career playing for the Portland Thunder in 2014, where he received first team All-Arena honors as a rookie. He made brief stops in the NFL in 2015, playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Cleveland Browns, before returning to Portland. In 2016, he played under Empire Head Coach Rob Keefe with the Orland Predators. He spent the 2017 season playing with the Baltimore Brigade where he racked up six interceptions and was named to the second team All-Arena team.
Derrick Summers, DL
Derrick Summers has made a name for himself in Arena Football, having seven years of experience under his belt. He began his career in Jacksonville in 2011, which he was named second team All-Arena. In 2012, he played five games in Jacksonville before moving to the Canadian Football League. He returned to the Arena in 2013 where he set the single season sack record for Jacksonville. He continued his Arena path through Spokane, Los Angeles and Cleveland over the past four years before making his next stop in Albany.
Trumaine (Joe) Sykes, DL
Trumaine Sykes is yet another football veteran to join the Empire, beginning his professional football career in 2006. He was the defensive player of the year in 2008 as a member of the Green Bay Blizzard. Throughout his tenure in arena football, Sykes has been named, defensive player of the year multiple times, defensive lineman of the year, and first team All-Arena three times. Sykes is third alltime in sacks in the Arena Football League.
Single game tickets for the Albany Empire’s inaugural game are available at TheAlbanyEmpire.com. Also available are 2018 season and single game tickets, flex packs, group outings and inaugural game family 4 packs at 518- 533-2200.