The Washington Valor are one of two new teams playing in the 2017 Arena Football League season. The team was founded by CEO of Monumental Sports and Entertainment (MSE) Ted Leonsis. Here is a season preview on the expansion team.
Washington Valor 2017 Season Preview
The Valor have made a huge splash even before the season began. They’ve signed several big-name guys such as 2013 AFL MVP Erik Meyer and future Hall of Famer TT Toliver.
Meyer won the 2013 MVP while with the San Jose Sabercats. Toliver has played in many different leagues, winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and an ArenaBowl title with the Tampa Bay Storm.
Washington also has former Philadelphia Soul defensive back Tracy Belton and former Orlando Predators wide receiver Greg Carr. Both have made names for themselves in the AFL, as well.
Belton recorded 80 tackles as a member of the Soul in 2016. He also led the league in interceptions with nine. The Soul went on to defeat the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XXIX to win their third title in team history.
Carr caught 83 passes for 1,146 yards and 28 touchdowns with the Predators last season. He spent the last three seasons with the team. Unfortunately, shortly after the 2016 season, the Predators suspended operations.
The Valor will be coached by Dean Cokinos. He began his coaching career in 1990 when he was the assistant head coach at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Since then, he has been a head coach for seven other teams. Cokinos was the defensive coordinator of the Storm in 2016.
The Valor will play their home games at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The Arena also hosts the home games of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.
Washington’s first game will be played this Friday against the other expansion team, the Baltimore Brigade.
The 2017 season is the league’s 30th. Five teams will compete for the Foster Trophy in ArenaBowl XXX. The game is expected to be played on Saturday, Aug. 26.
