Tag Archives: albany empire

AAF, Arena, CFL, NFL

Jones, Malachi

Topps AAF 2019, #83
Topps AAF 2019 Certified, #AU-MJ

CARDS: Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF 2019 Certified
ACQUIRED: 2020, Box Breaker. 2021, Future Considerations
FAILURE: TTM 2019, C/o Home

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Malachi Jones played for 2012-’15 at WR for Appalachian State.
  • An UDFA of the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, he’d be cut after mini camp.
  • Malachi took his game to the NAL to the High Country Grizzlies in 2017.
  • In 10 contests, he caught 66 passes for 685 yards and 16 TDs.
  • After a short stint in the American Arena League’s Atlanta Havoc, he signed with the Albany Empire in 2018.
  • He had a solid debut, catching 77 passes for 1156 yards and 29 TDs.
  • After being signed and cut by the Bears, Malachi signed with the Atlanta Legends of the AAF in late 2018.
  • Despite the team’s QB woes, he caught 22 passes for 312 yards and 2 TDs over 8 contests.
  • After the league folded abruptly, Malachi resigned with the Albany Empire in 2019.
  • He had a spectacular return to the Arena Football League with 96 catches for 1,440 yards and 25 touchdown catches.
  • Malachi helped the team win the Arena Bowl XXXII after the season.
  • Although he was selected by the Seattle Dragons of the relaunched XFL, Jones opted to sign with the Montreal Alouettes.
  • In 2021, he returned to the Albany Empire, but the league quickly fell apart.
  • This led Malachi to play for the Carolina Cobras in 2022.

ACCOLADES:

  • NAL Offensive Rookie of the Year 2017
  • Arena Football Offensive Rookie of the Year 2018
  • Arena Football Wide Receiver of the Year 2018

NOTES:

I hadn’t had any luck with Malachi, when a friend of mine on Facebook who knew him, reached out and said he could get him for me.

He also collected World League stuff like I did. I helped him out on a few addresses, and he helped me. Then like that, overnight, he disabled his Facebook and I never saw him again.

Later Malachi had a good laugh when I sent him a Tweet of me in my Atlanta Legends Malachi Jones jersey sneaking in to represent the AAF during an XFL 2020 broadcast in H-Town.

Arena, NFL, The Spring League

Fafaul, Mike

Card: Sage 2017
Acquired: 2018, Box Breaker

Mike Fafaul went to UCLA where he played sparingly for the Bruins as a backup (behind Brett Hundley and Josh Rosen) until 2016. Participating in 8 contests, Mike threw for 1602 yards (135 of 259 passes) for 12 TDs and 11 interceptions. He set a school record when he threw 40 completions, 5 TD passes and a bit over 500 yards against Utah. Going unselected in the 2017 NFL Draft, Fafaul went to a few mini camps in the NFL (Ravens, Redskins) and CFL.

Ultimately he’d end up as Tommy Grady’s backup playing for the Albany Empire of the Arena Football League. During his rookie season Mike was 3 of 9 for 18 yards and an interception.  In 2019, he was spotted in Austin working with The Spring League. Mike later signed with the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League.

Arena, NFL

Wilson, De’Runnya (1994-2020)

sage16 dwilsonCard: Sage 2016
Acquired: 2016, Hobby Box Breaker

At 6’5″, 215, De’Runnya Wilson is a big and tall receiver with soft hands and deceptive speed. He finished 5th in school history with 133 receptions, and led the team in catches, yards, and touchdowns in 2014.  A basketball star who moonlighted as a football player, Wilson is going to need to improve his consistency when he hits the pro level, but shows some flashes of NFL potential.  A popular player around campus- Wilson declared for the 2016 NFL draft as a Junior. Going unselected he was picked up in October of that year, by the Chicago Bears and added to their practice squad.

UPDATE 1/22/2020- De’Runnya Wilson was found slain in his Birmingham Apartment on 1/20/2020. He had most recently played for the Albany Empire in 2018. His death is being treated as a homicide.