Buzzards Bay, Mass. --  Massachusetts Maritime senior linebacker Walter Butler has been named as the 2011 New England Football Conference Bogan Division Defensive Player of the Year in a vote of the league’s eight coaches, as he is one of five Buccaneers to earn spots on this year’s all-conference team that was announced by Roger Crosley, the NEFC’s Director of Media Relations.

A native of Bourne, Mass. and a graduate of Bishop Stang High School, Butler ranked second on the team in total tackles with 67, including 51 solo stops and 17 tackles for losses of 60 yards.  He added three sacks, nine quarterback hurries and a pair of pass break-ups while returning a fumble recovery 48 yards for a touchdown in Massachusetts Maritime’s 34-6 Admiral’s Cup victory over Maine Maritime on October 22^nd.  In addition, Butler led all players in NCAA Division III play nationally in forced fumbles with six on the season, as he also ranked 14^th in the country in tackles for losses.  A two-time selection as NEFC Defensive Player of the Week this fall, Walter was one of seven individuals featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces In The Crowd” column on November 7^th for his efforts, becoming the second Buccaneer in two years to appear in the prestigious national publication.

Butler becomes the fourth student-athlete to earn a major NEFC individual honor during Head Coach Jeremy Cameron’s seven-year tenure at the Academy, joining Defensive Rookie of the Year honorees Ryan Howley (2007) and Stefan Gustafson (2010) as well as 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jonathan Emond.

Butler was joined on the 2011 NEFC Bogan Division First Team Defensive all-conference squad by fellow senior linebacker Mike Bois (Lakeville, Mass./Apponequet), who led the Buccaneers in total tackles for a second straight season with 79, including 52 solo stops to go with three sacks and 5.5 tackles for losses of 41 yards.  Bois, a two-year team captain and two-time all-NEFC selection, ranked seventh in the conference in tackles while adding a pair of forced fumbles as well as an interception return of 59 yards for a touchdown in a 51-13 victory over MIT on September 17^th.  Bois amassed 160 tackles over the last two seasons and recorded nine career double-digit tackle performances

In addition, three Massachusetts Maritime standouts earned second team NEFC Bogan Division accolades on the defensive side.  Senior James Hutchinson (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) and junior Sean Carver (Summerfield, Fla./The Villages) earned spots on the defensive line for their performances this fall, as Hutchinson recorded 46 total tackles (33 solo) to go with a pair of fumble recoveries and 7.5 tackles for losses of 43 yards.  Carver added 34 total stops (22 solo) while leading the team with four sacks on the year, as he added 12 tackles for losses of 41 yards to go with three fumble recoveries, a pair of forced fumbles and an interception.  Junior Eddy Ramos (Sunny Isles, Fla./Michael Krop) rounded out the list of Buccaneer honorees as a second team defensive back, as he led Cameron’s crew with four interceptions on the season and ranked among the conference leaders with 11 passes defended.  Ramos returned a pick 74 yards for a touchdown in a 23-19 victory over Worcester State on October 8^th and added 32 total tackles (24 solo).

Massachusetts Maritime posted its first outright winning season in 11 years under Cameron’s tutelage this fall with a 5-4 mark, including the Buccaneers’ first Admiral’s Cup victory since 2003.  Massachusetts Maritime is also the only team to have defeated New England Football Conference champion Western New England in 2011 after a season-opening 19-14 triumph on September 10^th.