Albany Metro Mallers
Encyclopedia
The Albany Metro Mallers are a semiprofessional football team that has played its home games primarily in Albany, New York
, with the 6500-seat Bleecker Stadium
as its home field. The team has long been successful regionally and nationally, having regularly been in the national semipro playoffs, and having won the national semipro title in 2008. Some of the team's players have gone on to play professional football, and a number of the team’s past and present players are listed among the all-time semipro football record holders.
in 1973, which had teams in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. They played their home games in Schenectady, New York, that year. Unlike most semipro leagues, which had only local players and did not pay their players, the Seaboard League teams brought in players from outside their areas, paid their players modestly and helped them find local jobs. League teams were able to attract numerous players who had been signed to NFL contracts, had been cut in the preseason, and were hoping to make the NFL eventually. More than ten of the Mallers had been in NFL camps. Later in the season, the team made an informal arrangement with the Montreal Alouettes
of the Canadian Football League to develop players for the Alouettes who had been released by that team., Three of the players on the 1973 Mallers (Bill Ellenbogen, Don Aleksiewicz and Gary Weinlein) played professional football eventually, although none ever played for the Alouettes
.
In 1981, the team moved into the Eastern Football League, which had teams in Massachusetts and in New York State. The Mallers won the league championship 12-9 on an electrifying play: a 73-yard flea flicker touchdown pass thrown by wide receiver Mike DeCarlo that was deflected by a defender into the hands of wide receiver Davey Williams, who held on to it and then ran the remaining 50 yards into the end zone.
The Mallers also won the Eastern Football League championship in 1986, defeating the Marlboro Shamrocks 23-14. The Metro Mallers returned to the Empire Football League in 1987, and finished second in the league that year. They won the league championship in 1989, and finished second in the league in 1990.
In 2007, the team again changed leagues, moving into the North American Football League. They won the Empire Division in their first year in that league.
In 2008, the Mallers were named as the USFA and Minor League Football News (MLFN) National Champions.
In 2011, the Mallers returned to the Empire Football League and captured the EFL title with a 26-14 victory against the Syracuse Shock.
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, with the 6500-seat Bleecker Stadium
Bleecker Stadium
Bleecker Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Albany, New York. The stadium was once a reservoir for the Albany public water system. Today it has a baseball diamond, football/soccer field, and a softball field used by area high schools, colleges, and youth and adult leagues...
as its home field. The team has long been successful regionally and nationally, having regularly been in the national semipro playoffs, and having won the national semipro title in 2008. Some of the team's players have gone on to play professional football, and a number of the team’s past and present players are listed among the all-time semipro football record holders.
The Seaboard League: NFL Castoffs Trying to Make It Back
After the team's first year in 1972, the Mallers moved into the Seaboard Football LeagueSeaboard Football League
The Seaboard Football League was a minor American football league that operated from 1971 to 1974. It folded after the 1974 season as a result of the founding of the World Football League, which deprived the league of talent....
in 1973, which had teams in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. They played their home games in Schenectady, New York, that year. Unlike most semipro leagues, which had only local players and did not pay their players, the Seaboard League teams brought in players from outside their areas, paid their players modestly and helped them find local jobs. League teams were able to attract numerous players who had been signed to NFL contracts, had been cut in the preseason, and were hoping to make the NFL eventually. More than ten of the Mallers had been in NFL camps. Later in the season, the team made an informal arrangement with the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
of the Canadian Football League to develop players for the Alouettes who had been released by that team., Three of the players on the 1973 Mallers (Bill Ellenbogen, Don Aleksiewicz and Gary Weinlein) played professional football eventually, although none ever played for the Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
.
The Mallers Become Amateurs
The Seaboard Football League folded at the end of that season, and the team then joined the Empire Football League, a league with teams primarily located in Upstate New York that prohibited paying their players. The Mallers moved to Albany that year. They finished second in the league in 1975 and 1976, and won the league championship in 1979.In 1981, the team moved into the Eastern Football League, which had teams in Massachusetts and in New York State. The Mallers won the league championship 12-9 on an electrifying play: a 73-yard flea flicker touchdown pass thrown by wide receiver Mike DeCarlo that was deflected by a defender into the hands of wide receiver Davey Williams, who held on to it and then ran the remaining 50 yards into the end zone.
The Mallers also won the Eastern Football League championship in 1986, defeating the Marlboro Shamrocks 23-14. The Metro Mallers returned to the Empire Football League in 1987, and finished second in the league that year. They won the league championship in 1989, and finished second in the league in 1990.
NFL Players Strike: Some Mallers Become Replacements
In 1987, during the NFL players strike, three members of the team were signed to play on NFL replacement teams (Dana Melvin, Robbin Williams and Joe Burke). Only running back Joe Burke, who had been named the 1986 American Football Association Player of the Year as the best semipro football player in the country, saw actual playing time, however. Burke returned to the Mallers in time to play in the American Football Association national playoffs in November 1987. The Mallers also were in the national playoffs in 1991, losing to the eventual national champion Brooklyn Mariners 12-6.2004 to present: Regional and National Success
The Mallers finished second in the Empire Football League in 2004, and won the league in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, they also won the United States Football Alliance (USFA) Eastern Championship.In 2007, the team again changed leagues, moving into the North American Football League. They won the Empire Division in their first year in that league.
In 2008, the Mallers were named as the USFA and Minor League Football News (MLFN) National Champions.
In 2011, the Mallers returned to the Empire Football League and captured the EFL title with a 26-14 victory against the Syracuse Shock.
Scott Lawson, Record Breaking Quarterback
In 2008, Quarterback Scott Lawson, who has been with the Mallers since 1990, broke the all-time semipro football record for the most touchdown passes in a career when he threw his 379th touchdown pass on October 4, 2008 against the Troy Fighting Irish. He has continued to play, and as of the end of the 2009 season, he had increased his record to 415 touchdown passes.Metro Mallers Who Have Played Professional Football
Many Metro Maller players have signed contracts with professional teams. Most have been released (cut) during the preseason. The following Metro Mallers players played during the regular season for professional teams:| Player | Pro Football Position | TeamYear |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Ellenbogen | Offensive and Defensive Line | Metro Mallers, 1973 New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... , 1976, 1977. |
| Don Aleksiewicz | Running Back | Metro Mallers, 1973 Philadelphia Bell Philadelphia Bell The Philadelphia Bell was a franchise in the World Football League, which operated in 1974 and a portion of a season in 1975. The Bell played their home games at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of the Liberty Bell.... , WFL World Football League The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The... , 1974. |
| Gary Weinlein | Defensive Back, Wide Receiver, Quarterback | Metro Mallers, 1973–1976, 1983 Toronto Argonauts Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta... (CFL Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football.... ), 1978.). |
| Dave Boisture | Quarterback | Metro Mallers, 1982 New Jersey Generals New Jersey Generals The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition... (USFL), 1983. Baltimore Stars Baltimore Stars The Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s. They were owned by real estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum. They were the league's dominant team, playing in all three championship games and winning two of... (USFL), 1985. |
| Joe Burke | Running Back | Metro Mallers, 1983-1988 New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... , 1987. |
| Robbin Williams | Defensive Back/Wide Receiver | Metro Mallers, 1986-1991 Albany Firebirds (AFL), 1991. |
| John Chaney | Defensive Back/Wide Receiver | Metro Mallers, 1991 Albany Firebirds (AFL), 1991-1992. |
| Vinny Cirrincione | Placekicker | Metro Mallers, 2004-2006 Albany Conquest Albany Conquest The Albany Firebirds are a professional arena football team of the af2 based in Albany, New York. Albany was granted an expansion team in 2002 and began play as the Albany Conquest. The Firebirds play their home games at the Times Union Center... (AF2 AF2 AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup... ), 2004, 2005 Birmingham Steel Dogs (AF2 AF2 AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup... ), 2005. |
Scoring Records
| Record | Stat. | Player | Date | Rank (Semipro Hist.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Points, Season | 188 | Joe Burke | 1986 | 4th |
| Two Point Conversions (Receiving, Game) |
2 | A.V. Marion | October 11, 1986 | 2nd |
| Longest Field Goals | 54 yards | Al Darling | September 12, 1981 | 23rd |
| Combined Returns Touchdowns (Game) |
3 | Jeff Lipscomb | 1986 | 6th |
| Fumble Recoveries Touchdown (Season) |
6 | Jeff Lipscomb | 1986 | 1st |
Passing Records
| Record | Stat | Player | Date | Rank (semipro history) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attempts (Career) | 5016 | Scott Lawson | 1990–2000 2004-2008 |
1st | 1st in history. 2009 season not included |
| Completions, (Career) | 2009 | Scott Lawson | 1990–2000 2004-2008 |
2nd | 2nd in history. 2009 season not included |
| Yards (Career) | 33,798 | Scott Lawson | 1990–2000 2004-2008 |
2nd | 2nd in history. 2009 season not included |
| Touchdowns (Career) | 415 | Scott Lawson | 1990–2000 2004-2009 |
1st | |
| Interceptions (Career) | 155 | Scott Lawson | 1990–2000 2004-2008 |
2nd | 2nd in history through 2008 |
| Longest Halfback Option Pass | 73 yards | Mike DeCarlo | October 10, 1981 | 3rd |
Rushing Records
| Record | Stat | Player | Year | Rank (semipro history) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards (Season) | 1766 yards (217 attempts) (16 TD’s) |
Don Aleksiewicz | 1973 | 9th |
| Most 100 yard games (Career) |
23 | Joe Burke | 1983–1988 | 1st |
| Most 100 yard games (Season) |
7 | Don Aleksiewicz | 1973 | 5th |
Miscellaneous Records
| Record | Stat | Player | Year | Rank (semipro history) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fumble Recoveries (Season) | 6 | Jeff Lipscomb | 1986. | 5th |
| Fumble Recoveries (Game) | 3 | Bill Widenman | 1973 | 2nd |
| Longest Interception Return | 100 yards | Mike Palmer Mike Palmer Mike Palmer was a player in the National Football League. He played with the Minneapolis Marines during the 1921 NFL season.-References:... |
10th |