May 11th in Pats history: Butch Songin & two other 5/11 birthday QBs

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Today in Patriots History
Butch Songin​

Happy posthumous birthday to Edward 'Butch' Songin, who would have been 97 today
Born May 11, 1924 in Walpole, Massachusetts
Patriot QB, 1960-1961; uniform #11

Like many early Patriots, Butch Songin was a local guy. Born and raised in Walpole, he graduated from Walpole High School, Newman Prep School on Marlborough Street in Boston, and then four years at Boston College. In 1949 he won BC's most prestigious athletic honor, the Scanlan Award. Songin was the captain and a two-time All-American of BC's Hockey team, who were national champions in 1949. He also threw 30 touchdowns for the Eagles from '47-'49, but an injury in the college all star game resulted in a drop in his draft status to 247th overall by the Browns in the 1950 NFL draft.

Songin played minor league football for Erie in the last year of the American Association, but was unable to finish the season due to injury, and missed the championship game. During the fifties Songin played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in what would later become the CFL, as well as some minor league hockey.

Butch Songin, Boston Patriots QB Played in the first AFL Game and for the Eastern Hockey League Worcester Warriors

At age 36 Songin was the starting QB for the Boston Patriots in what was the first ever American Football League game. He appeared in all 28 games over the first two seasons in franchise history for the Pats, starting 18 games until Babe Parilli arrived and took over. During that time Butch threw 26 touchdown passes, and ran for two more. In both seasons Songin led the AFL with the lowest interception percentage.

On October 13, 1961 Songin led the Pats to a 4th quarter comeback against the defending champion Houston Oilers, capped by a touchdown pass to Gino Cappelletti. Two weeks later Songin rallied the Pats for another come from behind victory. This time it was an 18-17 battle over Hank Stram's Dallas Texans, with a 4th quarter touchdown pass and two point conversion, and then the final drive that set up a game-winning field goal by Cappelletti.

Songin was also coaching football and hockey at what was then a practically brand new Marian High School in Framingham - at the same time that he was playing for the Patriots. He simply loved sports, still playing minor league football for the Quincy Giants of the Atlantic Coast Football League at the age of 45 in 1969. Butch Songin passed away on May 26, 1976 at age of 52 in Foxborough, from cancer.

Edward Songin (1970) - Varsity Club Hall of Fame - Boston College Athletics

 

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Today in Patriots History
Two More May 11 Birthday Quarterbacks​

Happy 32nd birthday to Cam Newton
Born May 11, 1989 in College Park, Georgia
Patriot QB, 2020-; uniform #1
Signed as an unrestricted veteran free agent on July 8, 2020

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Happy 39th birthday to Andrew Walter
Born May 11, 1982 in Phoenix
Patriot QB, 2009 (off season); uniform #16

The Patriots signed the former Raider as a veteran free agent on August 9, 2009 after they released Matt Gutierrez. There was some speculation at the time that the move was made because Tom Brady would not be ready to start the season, that he was still recovering from the Bernard Pollard knee injury. Walter was released a month later during final roster cuts. Despite speculation that the Patriots would keep three quarterbacks due to TB12's untested knee, the Pats elected instead to go with only two quarterbacks on the roster - with undrafted rookie Brian Hoyer winning the backup role over Walter, Gutierrez and Kevin O'Connell.

Frustrated over not getting a chance to play, Walter - who had been a third round draft pick just four years prior - retired from the NFL. He returned to Arizona State University and received an MBA. He started his own business, became managing partner of a commercial business lending firm. In 2014 Walter set his sights on representing his district in Washington, running for Congress. Fortunately for his sake he has been a far more successful businessman than he was an NFL quarterback.

Andrew Walter, DieHard Interview

Andrew Walter replied, "My blood, sweat, tears and bones are there, down on that field with hundreds of Sun Devils

dieharddevil.com

May 11, 2018: Pats release draft bust Tony Garcia, and sign undrafted rookie J.C. Jackson

Patriots sign six of nine 2018 NFL Draft selections; Sign nine rookie free agents; Release OL Tony Garcia

The New England Patriots announced today the signing of six of their nine draft selections. In addition, the Patriots signed nine rookie free agents and released OL Tony Garcia.

www.patriots.com

Jackson, 22, started all 12 games at cornerback during his junior season in 2017, posting 40 total tackles and three interceptions. The 6-foot-1, 193-pounder played two seasons at Maryland in 2016 and 2017 after spending the 2015 season at Riverside Community College. He spent his freshman season in 2014 at Florida, where he played in one game before suffering an injury.​

Garcia, 24, was originally drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft with the 85th overall selection out of Troy. The 6-foot-7, 302-pounder, was placed on the Reserve/Non-football Illness list on Sept. 2, 2017.​

May 11, 2015: Kyle Arrington is released after six seasons in New England
The final game as a Patriot was in Super Bowl 49, where he was benched and replaced by Malcolm Butler.



May 11, 2015: Tom Brady is suspended for four games for 'conduct detrimental to the integrity of the NFL'
Still no word from 345 Park Avenue on the integrity of science, or the results of PSI measurements the league announced it would make over the course of the 2015 season.



Other pro football players with New England area connections that were born on May 11:

Ed King (5/11/25-9/18/06); BC High and Boston College grad.
Played G/DL/LB from 1948-50 for Buffalo in the AAFC, and Baltimore after the league merged with the NFL.

Tom Lomasney (5/11/06-12/29/76); Salem High School class of 1924.
Lifelong resident of Salem was an end for the 1929 Staten Island Stapletons.

Bob Goodridge, 75 (5/11/46); born in Boston.
WR was a 6th round pick by Minnesota, playing in 11 games for the Vikings in 1968. At Vanderbilt in '67 Goodridge had 79 receptions for 1,114 yards.

Ben Roderick (5/11/66-11/30/74); Boston College.
Tailback for Buffalo and Canton in the twenties.

Darryl Pollard, 57 (5/11/64); born in Ellsworth Maine.
CB won two super bowl rings with the 49ers.

Al Dekdebrun (5/11/21-3/29/05)
QB for the Boston Yanks in the forties.