Butler Brothers Return Home: Siblings Play Football At Massachusetts Maritime
October 17, 2008
By Dan Crowley, Bourne Enterprise Sports Editor
BOURNE- From the day they picked up a football, the careers of Alex and Walter Butler have been remarkably similar.
The brothers from Bourne are three years apart in age. Alex is currently a 2nd Class Cadet in 3rd Company at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He is a Maritime Transportation major, squad leader and starting running back on the Buccaneers football team. Walter is a freshman, or 4th Class Cadet, in 4th Company and a starting defensive back.
At the age of 7, Alex put on his first football pads as a member of Bourne Pop Warner, while 4-year-old Walter watched from the sidelines. Three years later, Walter began his football career. After an elementary school education at St. Margaret's in Bourne, the brothers attended Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth, where together they added their names to the school's football record book.
Mass. Maritime running back Alex Butler carries the ball for the Buccaneers. Butler is one of the top ball-carriers for the Bucs this fall.
Their strong family values and religious belief had steered them toward a parochial school education, making the atmosphere of personal discipline and highly structured academic and athletic programs at Bishop Stang the obvious next step.
"Staying together was important to us and to our parents," Walter explained.
By the time Walter arrived at Bishop Stang his brother had already begun to collect football accolades. Rarely had a season gone by when Alex hadn't been selected as an Eastern Athletic Conference All-Star. Back together again, the two Bulters went to work setting new gridiron marks.
Both brothers became team captains and both were recipients of the highly prestigious Fall River Super Team Award given to the top 11 high school football players in southeastern Massachusetts. The awards and recognition continued to come their way as the Spartans of Bishop Stang High School reached the Massachusetts High School Super Bowl Alex's senior year. The next season, after Alex left for college, Walter helped lead the Spartans to a 10-0 record. As senior team captains, both brothers were selected the team's Most Valuable Player; it was the first time in school history that brothers had received MVP honors.
Walter fell one touchdown shy of the school single-season scoring record, finishing his senior year with 22 TDs, while both maintained impressive academic records.
Alex helped bring lacrosse to Bishop Stang. In his freshman season, along with other students interested in the sport, Alex helped form a lacrosse club, which a year later became a varsity team. Walter played baseball for two seasons before joining the track and field team. In his first year on the track for the Spartans, he qualified for state competition in six events. In winter track he reached the All-State level in the high jump and the spring of his senior year he was All-State in the 110-meter hurdles.
With his roots in Bourne, Alex came home in 2006 to play football at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
"I wanted something with a military atmosphere," Alex said. "I looked at Norwich University and Maine Maritime as well, but Massachusetts Maritime was right here in our back yard. Growing up, being at the beach and on the water, we saw it every day. I've always loved the water and knew I wanted to do something on the water."
It wasn't simply following in his brother's footsteps for Walter.
"I really didn't know where I wanted to go," he explained. "I didn't want to go to a big school and get lost in the shuffle. My brother was here, so I came for a visit and liked it. We were both looking for that discipline and the career opportunities Massachusetts Maritime offers."
Walter has yet to declare a major, but is leaning toward International Maritime Business.
Making the transition from high school to college, particularly at Massachusetts Maritime where orientation can be a daunting task for any freshman, was made a little easier for Walter having had Alex's guidance.
"Definitely, having my brother here to answer questions was helpful," Walter noted. "I could call him up and ask him things and with him around I was also able to get to know a lot of the older kids on campus."
In his third year at MMA, Alex is a squad leader working with the freshman and helping them adjust to the school and its lifestyle.
"I help them with what they need to know," Alex said. "Having been there I know, it can be tough and it helps to have someone that can answer questions and show them the way."
After three seasons apart, the brothers are back on the gridiron together. Not only their football talent, but their versatility has been an added boon for the Buccaneers. An opening day injury to one of the starting running backs forced the team to make adjustments and the coaching staff turned to the Butlers. Walter moved from offense to defense, giving up his running back position to play left outside linebacker. Alex, who had been the Buc's OLB, took over at running back.
"We switched positions is what happened," Alex pointed out. "When that injury happened they wanted someone with college game experience at running back."
"We had played both of those positions at Stang," Walter added. "It wasn't anything new."
Six games into the season, Alex is the second-leading ball carrier on the team, rushing 49 times for 175 yards. He tops the list on kick-off returns with 14 for 199 yards. Walter is third on the team with 21.5 tackles and a sack.
"There is no denying that we're having a tough season," Alex admitted, "but there are some good things going on. I think we have a very good leader in (Captain) Colin Teehan. Our other captain, Kyle (Audette) is hurt. Colin isn't a big guy, but he gets his point across and everyone respects him. I think he is doing a very good job with a team that's still looking for their first win. He has kept us together and motivated."
"It's still fun," Walter added. "We haven't won a game, but everyone shows up six days a week for practice ready to go. Everyone is working hard and still dedicated."
Playing on championship teams all through high school, the brothers know what it is like to win and they are no strangers to hard work.
"We really are a hard-working team," Alex said of the Buccaneers. "Maybe the record (0-6) doesn't show it, but we are."
"We don't have any one guy that can carry the team," Walter noted. "We don't have that guy that you can put the ball into his hands and score. We work together and if we keep doing that we will win."
Another benefit in coming home to play their college football is that their family doesn't have to travel to watch them play.
"My parents, family, and friends all come to see our games," Walter said. "We have a lot of cousins, aunts, and uncles in the Bourne and Plymouth area."
"All our buddies, the kids that we grew up with, now come out to see our games," Alex smiled, "and on a Friday after inspection I can just walk home."
Alex plans to ship out this winter, hoping for a position on a coastal tug, while Walter will take his first cruise onboard the TS Enterprise for eight weeks over the winter term.
Rooted in a solid foundation of strong family values and the game of football, the sons of Walter and Victoria Butler of Bourne have accomplished a lot in their young lives. Now they play their college football down the street from the house they grew up in with the whole family on hand to watch.
"It's really nice to be home," Alex added with a smile.