NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE
FOOTBALL
National Arena League
menuNAL MVP Darius Prince Returns to Empire
October 7th, 2022
The Albany Empire bring back 2022 National Arena League MVP Darius Prince for 2023 Season
Albany, NY: The Albany Empire announced today that the team has re-signed team captain and 2022 National Arena League MVP, Darius Prince, for the 2023 National Arena League season. Prince has played his last two seasons of arena football in Albany, helping lead the Empire to back-to-back National Arena League titles. Prince ended his 2021 campaign in Albany not only as a champion but as the National Arena League's Offensive Player of the Year.
Prince came back in 2022 with even more to show the National Arena League as he led the league in receiving yards (1,308), receiving yards per game (109), and receiving touchdowns (39).
Along with helping to bring another championship to the Capital Region, Prince took home the league's Most Valuable Player award in 2022 as he quickly adapted to the new Ironman rules of the National Arena League. Prince ended the 2022 season with two interceptions and one kickoff return for a touchdown to go along with his accolades as a wideout.
Albany Empire Owner Mike Kwarta shared his commitment to bringing back Prince in 2023, “As the premier arena football organization in the country, you need the absolute best players to compete for a championship every season. Darius has proven to be one of the best in our game, year after year.” Kwarta added about Prince, “Not only has he maintained the highest level of success on the field, but we have also seen him grow as a leader within our organization and look forward to having him lead us again in 2023.”
“Albany just feels like home to me," said Prince. Outside of football, I’ve built great relationships with some amazing people there. It’s just a great feeling when work doesn’t feel like work.” Prince went on to say, “I’m extremely excited to be returning to Albany for the 2023 season and I am looking forward to picking up where we left off as we go for a three-peat. We have a chance to do something very special this season coming up, and that was something that I wanted to be a part of.”
About The Albany Empire
The Albany Empire was founded in 2018 and have won titles in the Arena Football League (AFL) in 2019 as well as the National Arena League (NAL) in 2021 and 2022. The Empire play their home games at the MVP Arena located at 51 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY. For more information about the Empire please email mwoods@albanyempirenal.com. For ticket sales and information please call (518)714-2200 Ext. 101 or Email tickets@albanyempirenal.com or visit albanyempirenal.com, facebook.com/AlbanyEmpireNAL, twitter.com/AlbanyEmpireNAL, instagram.com/albanyempirenal
About The National Arena League
The National Arena League was founded in 2016 and hosted its inaugural season in 2017 as the premier league in arena football. For more information regarding expansion opportunities or partnerships, contact Commissioner Chris Siegfried at chris@nationalarenaleague.com. For more information about the NAL visit www.nationalarenaleague.com, facebook.com/nationalarenaleauge, twitter.com/NALfootball, Instagram.com/nationalarenaleague.
About The MVP Arena
MVP Arena is a full-service entertainment and sports facility featuring a wide variety of family shows, sporting events, trade shows and concerts. Owned by Albany County and managed by ASM Global, MVP Arena opened in 1990 and is home to the Albany Empire of the National Arena League, the Albany FireWolves of the National Lacrosse League, and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/.