Murray State University freshman football player Tamar Butler earned a spot on the 2006 Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team, the league announced today from its Brentwood, Tenn., headquarters. Butler, a linebacker from Murfreesboro, Tenn., was one of 13 players from across the conference selected to the all-newcomer squad.
“We're very pleased that Tamar was recognized for the contributions he made to our team this season,” said Murray State Head Coach Matt Griffin. “Tamar was asked to make the adjustment from high school player to collegiate starter and he did a tremendous job making that transition.”
Butler started every game this season for the Racers and finished with 69 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception, three pass break-ups, one fumble recovery and four forced fumbles. He led the team in tackles for a loss and was fourth in total tackles.
Butler is tied for fifth in NCAA Division I-AA with an average of 0.36 forced fumbles per game.
In the final game of his first collegiate season, Butler registered a season-best 12 tackles against No. 12 Tennessee-Martin. Of his 12 stops, nine were of the solo variety.
He recorded eight tackles on two occasions, against Indiana State on Sept. 16 and against No. 6 Illinois State on Sept. 23.
Butler and fellow freshman Taylor Lanigan are the only two players on the team that have recorded a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.
In addition to the all-newcomer team, the OVC also announced its all-conference teams and its award winners as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors. Eastern Illinois running back Vincent Webb and UT Martin running back Don Chapman were selected as OVC Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
EIU's Donald Thomas was tabbed as the OVC Defensive Player of the Year while OVC Freshman of the Year honors went to Tennessee Tech quarterback Lee Sweeney.Eastern Illinois had a conference-high seven players selected to the 2006 All-OVC first team, while UT Martin and Tennessee State followed with five and four honorees, respectively.
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