Football 12/5/2023 12:32:19 PM Courtesy of Lafayette Athletics Communications

Lafayette's Shaeffer Named to Final Three for Buck Buchanan Award

Stats Perform Release

EASTON, Pa. -- Billy Shaeffer's performance in his senior season continues to draw national praise, as the linebacker has been selected as one of three players to be invited to the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award announcement at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.

Presented by FedEx Ground, the Buchanan Award honors the national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football. Shaeffer joins Tennessee State defensive end Terrell Allen and Albany linebacker Dylan Kelly in the final trio, trimmed down from a group of 30 finalists initially introduced Nov. 21. The winner, selected by a national voting panel after the regular season, will be announced on the eve of the national championship game.

A native of Warrington, Pa., Shaeffer led Lafayette and the Patriot League with 10 sacks, finishing with 0.83 per game to end the season tied for 10th in the nation. It was the most sacks for a Leopard since 2000 and the second-most ever in a season at Lafayette. Shaeffer also had 21.5 tackles for loss (TFL) which ranks him first in the Patriot League and fourth in the nation.

The All-Patriot League First-Team selection was twice named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week during the Leopards' 2023 Patriot League championship season. He led the team with 83 tackles and five forced fumbles while starting 12 games. In his career, the International Affairs major played in 48 games at linebacker, long snapper, and on special teams coverage units. Shaeffer ends his career on College Hill with 12 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and five interceptions (two of which he returned for a touchdown).

The Buchanan Award, first presented in 1995, was named in honor of defensive lineman Junious "Buck" Buchanan who starred at Grambling State as part of his Hall of Fame career. The award has a distinguished history of recipients, including two-time winners Dexter Coakley, Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen, and Arthur Moats. Like the Buchanan Award, the winners of the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year), and FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award will be honored at the national awards banquet.

Lafayette, which won its first Patriot League title since 2013, garnered significant recognition in the national awards circuit. Soph. RB Jamar Curtis, who finished second in the nation with 1,460 rushing yards in 11 games, set a school record for rushing yards in a season to earn a place as a finalist for the Payton Award. Freshman defensive lineman Jaylon Joseph, who was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, was named as a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top FCS freshman. Joseph had 28.0 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks while starting 11 games.

Their mentor, head coach John Troxell, was the runaway winner for the Patriot League Coach of the Year, as the Leopards were selected fourth in the preseason poll before capturing the program's eighth Patriot League title. He was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award given annually to the national coach of the year, guiding the Maroon and White to a 9-3 record, a national ranking, and an NCAA FCS Playoff appearance.