EAST MVP'S
- Updated: November 7, 2013
BOSTON, MA – The Boston Bandits played with heavy hearts this season as the mourned the loss of their longtime player Odin Lloyd. &ldquot;We dedicated our season to Odin and his family&rdquot; said head coach Olivier Bustin, &ldquot;this situation showed us how quickly your entire existence can change&rdquot;. The Bandits rallied on the field to win the Eastern Division and earn a trip to the Northern Conference finals. A team effort, the NEFL have identified two players and their coaching staff that assisted in making this season a success.
OFFENSIVE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Darryl Hodge (Boston Bandits) – Darryl Hodge is another one of the elite players in the NEFL that were impacting in all three phases of the game. Used as a defensive back to take away some of the league's top pass catchers, Hodge also returned both kicks and punts for the Bandits. His fulltime job however was as the go to receiver where he pulled in seven touchdowns and led the team in receptions. &ldquot;He's one of a few players to score on defense, offense, and special teams. He's an awesome athlete who could star anywhere on the field he decided to.&rdquot;
DEFENSIVE MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS: Dareck Alcindor (Boston Bandits) – With the second rated defense in the NEFL, the Bandits scheme was based around a stingy secondary and Alcinder at defensive tackle. &ldquot;He was a rock in the middle of their defensive line; you had to identify him if you were going to run the ball&rdquot; said an opposing head coach. A great run stopper, Alcindor also had the ability to collapse the pocket and put pressure on the quarterback. &ldquot;He's a lot more athletic than people give him credit for.&rdquot;
COACHING STAFF: Boston Bandits- Olivier Bustin and his staff spend as much time talking to reporters as they did coaching their team early in the season. The media circus that surrounded the loss of Odin Lloyd made it difficult for players to focus on football. &ldquot;The loss of Odin made us realize how trivial football was in the big picture; however we needed football to escape from all that had happened&rdquot;. The Bandits used the time at practice and at games to honor their fallen friend. This was no easy task but was orchestrated seamlessly by Bustin. This season also saw the team being turned over to first year quarterback Adam Healy. With a young signal caller, the coaching staff had to combine a high percentage passing game with a focused running attack. &ldquot;Our last two quarterbacks were veterans who could handle anything we threw at them; with a young kid we needed to show as much patience as we could until he felt comfortable in our system.&rdquot; It obviously work with Healy collecting 9 touchdown passing in limited starts and the Bandits finishing the season 8-4 including a playoff victory.
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