Albany Firebirds sign former Empire QB Sam Castronova
ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) -- The Albany Firebirds are preparing for their first year in a new league, the AFL. We're still waiting on official dates for the season, but the Firebirds got things rolling with three announcements Wednesday. Among them? The return of a familiar face under center.
The Firebirds have signed former Albany Empire quarterback Sam Castronova. Castronova led the Empire to the NAL title in 2022. He left the team in 2023 during the Antonio Brown lack of payment saga.
Castronova is excited to get back to Albany with a group he trusts. "I was hoping that that wasn't my last time playing for Albany and the fans and all that, because the fans have always been so good to me," said Castronova. "I've even still kept in contact with a lot of those people, so I'm really excited to be able to kind of finish the story the right way. I haven't played for the Firebirds yet, that's going to take some getting used to. I'll be in Albany, which is comfortable. But no, I'm excited. Being comfortable with coach Ware and that offense and just kind of what we built in '22 and kind of being able to continue and ascend that from there. So super excited to get back to work with them."
Head coach and General manager Damon Ware is thrilled to have Castronova, and what he brings to the table, back in the fold. "Sam's got a great deep ball and he's athletic and so every defense has to box him into the pocket and hold him there or he can take off," said Ware. "He's an outstanding runner of the football. So we'll be able to put in some creative things, obviously, like we did in 2022."
The Firebirds also announced they've elevated Brandon Sesay to defensive coordinator. Sesay, a former Empire player, served as a defensive assistant last year with the Firebirds. "It means the world to me," said Sesay. "Not just being a defensive coordinator, being a defensive coordinator for the Albany Firebirds means everything in the world to me. It's all about just, you know, loyalty and what you put into it. I've been here since 2018, won a lot of championships here, and I just want to keep that culture going. Embracing the fans, I don't call them fans, I call them family members, and just seeing everybody grow and we're growing all together and just being able to be effective this year."
The Firebirds also announced lineman Shawn Lockett will return for the upcoming season.