WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University offensive linemen Nick Halloran (Somerville/BB&N) and A.J. Riker (Haskell, N.J./Lakeland Regional HS) have been selected to the 2011 All-Northeast-10 Conference football first team by the conference's head coaches.

Graduate students Bryant Johnson (Hopedale/Milford HS), a quarterback, and Wade Critides (Wayland/Wayland HS), a wide receiver, were both chosen for second-team honors, as was senior defensive end Matt Welch (Woburn/Woburn HS).  The All-Rookie team included freshman defensive back Brad Keirstead (Waltham/Waltham HS).

Halloran, a six-foot-five 290-pound senior who plans to return for his final year of eligibility, and Riker, a six-foot-three 290-pound senior, were major reasons why the 2011 Falcons averaged nearly five yards per rushing attempt (second in the NE-10) and allowed only 12 sacks, a conference-low, on 225 passing plays.  Riker, a guard and one of the team's captains, started all 40 games during his four seasons at Bentley.

 "AJ has developed his body over the past four seasons to become one of the league's best," said his position coach, Adam Griggs. "Mentally, he really stepped up this year. With the graduation of our center last season, AJ took over the communication of pre-snap calls for our line, allowing us to bring along our young center. He is an incredible run blocker, and played with real confidence. His work ethic and leadership will be something we miss as he was a major reason why this line has seen such a dramatic turnaround in just four years. It says a lot for a lineman's character when you start every single game of your four-year career, and we will miss his experience and example for our younger guys up front. He brought a mental and physical toughness that will now need to be replaced for next year."

"Nick is an incredibly intelligent football player," said Griggs of the Boston College transfer who recently completed his second year with the Falcons. "His film preparation is second to none and gave him a big edge over his competition. While being a superior athlete, his ability to be a student of the game has propelled him from a great tackle to one of the best in the conference. He really worked this off-season to perfect the intricacies of the tackle position (after being a guard at BC). He has stepped up as a shut down protector, often going against some of the best defensive ends in the conference. Not to mention he has quickly become one of the most respected members of the team since transferring last year. He has really concentrated on perfecting the little things about being a great offensive lineman, and I can't wait to have another year with him on our line."

Johnson, a three-year starter, may have had a better year than he did in 2010 when he was selected first-team All-Conference and was the NE-10 MVP. The lefty completed 66 percent of his passes for the second straight year, throwing for 2,418 yards and 26 touchdowns with only six interceptions. In addition, he was also a threat to run with the ball, gaining 325 yards while scoring three times, and his 2,743 yards of total offense was a conference-high.

Johnson, who has started every game of the Thom Boerman era at Bentley, finished his career with 8,189 yards total offense, 7,473 passing yards, 716 rushing yards, 66 TD passes and a school record .613 completion percentage.

Critides also had an outstanding season, pulling in 72 passes (tying for the most in the conference) for 926 yards and five touchdowns. He's tied for seventh in Division II in pass receptions per game, and had five 100-yard receiving games. Critides, just the third receiver in Bentley history to surpass 2,000 career receiving yards, finished his four years with 139 catches and 2,018 yards.

Welch finished with 33 tackles and three sacks, but when the Falcons needed a key play on defense, he was frequently in the middle of it. He returned a fumble for a touchdown against SUNY-Maritime, recorded an interception against West Virginia Wesleyan, caught a 32-yard TD pass on a fake field goal against Southern Connecticut, and was credited with 10 quarterback hurries.

Keirstead, in his first collegiate season, was in on 12 tackles, all of which were solo stops. He was also used on special teams, with five kickoff returns for a 24 yard average and eight punt returns for a norm of 5.5.

Bentley finished the 2011 season with a record of 6-4.

Northeast-10 Release