Buffalo State

Former Buffalo State football standout Mark Valvo had his jersey (No. 79) retired by the Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League (AFL) on Sunday. A 2002 inductee into the Buffalo State Athletics Hall of Fame, he is the first player in Firebirds' history to earn such an honor.

During his career at Buffalo State, Valvo became the school's first offensive lineman to be named All-America as he led the Bengals to their first ECAC Bowl Championship. As a senior captain the following season, he helped lead Buffalo State to its first-ever NCAA Playoff berth and a first-round victory over defending national champion Ithaca College, 28-26.

After completing his bachelor's degree in graphic design in 1993, Valvo entered the AFL as an unpaid practice player for the then Albany Firebirds. He signed midway through the season, and became a fixture on the franchise's offensive and defensive lines for the next 10 seasons, and helped the team capture an Arena Bowl Championship in 1999. Valvo played his final season in 2003 with the Buffalo Destroyers. He holds the record for most seasons in a Firebirds uniform by any player (10), and is tied for second in AFL history for longest tenure with one team.

Valvo's Firebirds' jersey was raised to the rafters of Conseco Fieldhouse on Sunday, prior to the Firebirds game against the Colorado Crush.

http://www.buffalostate.edu/athletics

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