ALBANY, N.Y. -- Former Albany Firebird legend Eddie Brown is remembering the days he shined inside the now Times Union Center. During his career, Brown earned numerous awards and was even voted the best player in Arena Football League history. 

“I actually scored my first touchdown over there, and it’s just great to be back,” said Brown, pointing to the northeast corner of the arena.

"Touchdown Eddie Brown" returned Tuesday night as a special guest at the open house for the new Albany AFL team. Dozens of fans spent the evening meeting the new owners and coaching staff of this team. 

“It’s exciting. The energy is palpable," said head coach Rob Keefe. "You can feel the love from the fans already. This is 100 percent an exciting time.”

Keefe says the city's history of Arena League football was one of the reasons he wanted to coach in Albany. He says the organization is putting together a team that will be successful on the field and active in the community. 

During the open house, fans also had the chance to select their season ticket seats on the spot. Team co-owner Marques Colston says the goal is to provide affordable family entertainment to the community. 

“That’s going to set the table for everything else, and we just want our fans to know that that’s our number-one goal, and winning and everything else will come as a result of that,” Colston said.

A team name will announced in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the team will begin filling its roster next month with an open tryout on January 27 at Sportsplex at Halfmoon. Those interested can visit AlbanyAFL.com for more information.