McNamara Named a Defensive Finalist for the Bushnell Cup

HANOVER, N.H. — The Ivy League unveiled its offensive and defensive finalists for the Bushnell Cup this afternoon, and Dartmouth linebacker Will McNamara was one of the two chosen on defense. He was joined by Penn linebacker Tyler Drake, while the offensive finalists consisted of Harvard quarterback Scott Hosch and Penn wide receiver Justin Watson.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, McNamara once again led the Dartmouth defense to new heights as the Big Green earned a share of the Ivy League title for the first time in 19 years. The tri-captain led the team in tackles for a second straight year, ranking fifth in the Ivy League with 7.7 stops per game (8.3 in league play alone), 3.5 of which went for a loss including a sack in the 35-3 win over Yale. A two-time unanimous All-Ivy League First Team linebacker, McNamara was also second in the conference with four interceptions, two of which came in the showdown against 15th-ranked Harvard, while another went for a touchdown in the season opener at Georgetown. He also broke up four other passes to rank among the league's top 10 in passes defended.

Not only did McNamara pick off two Crimson passes on Oct. 30, he also recorded a game-high 14 tackles, one of which concluded the incredible goal-line stand in the fourth quarter that kept Harvard from scoring on five tries from the one-yard line. On 12 occasions, he made a play on third or fourth down that left the opponent short of a first down, while ending four other drives with his interceptions. In the season finale, with Dartmouth needing a victory to earn a share of the Ivy crown, he came through with 10 more stops, his eighth career game in double figures.

Five times McNamara led the team in tackles this fall (13 times in his career) as Dartmouth led the nation in scoring defense at 10.1 points per game, allowing fewer points than any Big Green squad since the advent of the 10-game season in 1980. In addition, the Big Green ranked first in turnovers gained, second in red zone defense, third in pass efficiency defense and fourth in rush defense.

McNamara finished his career with 188 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, with eight interceptions (three of which he returned for touchdowns), seven pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one sack over 32 games. Three times he was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week, once in each of his final three campaigns.

The Bushnell Cup, given to the Ivy League Most Valuable Player since 1970 and split into an offensive and defensive honor in 2011, has been bestowed upon a Dartmouth player six times, but never a defensive player. The most recent Big Green recipient — and the only one of the last 22 seasons — was running back Nick Schwieger '12 in 2010.

The 2015 Bushnell Cup Presentation, co-hosted by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and presented by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, is set for Monday, Dec. 7 at 12:30 p.m. ET with a special press conference and reception in the Vanderbilt Room of the famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The presentation will be shown live and free of charge on The Ivy League Digital Network (ILDN).

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