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.
Ah my friend, The Legendary Knight. I remember watching those AAF games. They were a blast. Whenever the Atlanta Legends would come on, they had to show their greatest fan: The Legendary Knight. He fought hard for his team even if he was only there to witness one win against the Arizona Hotshots. The camera loved it, and showed him on TV at every instance. He was their (un)official mascot.
The brave Knight and I talked from time to time over Twitter. He spoke in elegant Shakespearean prose and he was also kind enough to provide the background to many of the Legends’ battles over the course of the 8 games.
He was very touched by my gesture of cards, and sent me back this one autographed. He donned his armor to honor me one last time and sent me a limited edition Legendary Knight t-shirt.
When I talk about leagues- again, the AAF was where it was at. Not only did it provide the best entertainment, it brought fans together from all over the world- or at least Atlanta.
After a year at Louisville, and then Torrance JC, Matt Simms transferred to Tennessee for 2010.
He threw for 1460 yards and 8 TDs while completing 113 of 195 pass attempts.
After going unselected during the 2012 NFL Draft, he’d sign a free agent contract with the New York Jets, and spent the season on and off the practice squad roster and futures list.
Simms saw a promising preseason in 2013, and then later threw his first professional football TD late in the season.
After seeing limited playing time again in the 2014 season, the team drafted two quarterbacks during the 2015 NFL Draft.
Simms would be claimed off of waivers in 2015 by the Buffalo Bills.
He’d join the Falcons practice squad after that and be on and off the team’s practice squad through 2017- when he was released with an injury settlement.
Matt was selected during the second round of the ‘Protect or Pick’ AAF QB draft by the Atlanta Legends.
The Legends went back and forth all season between Matt and former Georgia star Aaron Murray.
Threw for 842 yards and 2 TDs (8 INT) on 79 of 132 passes for Atlanta.
After the AAF collapsed in 2019, Matt resigned with the Falcons, but was placed on IR soon thereafter, ending his season and his career.
NOTES:
Great autograph and card. Love the ‘Caesar-esque’ pose. Matt comes from a solid line of QB bloodlines, with his father Phil and brother Chris, both playing in the NFL at the position as well. I took a shot on Matt on his Topps AAF base card at his parent’s house back in 2019, thinking he’d open it over Christmas- but going on 3 years now, no dice.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
