Weekly Gold HElmet recipients

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –  Brown University fifth year quarterback Jake Willcox and University of New Haven senior running back Christopher Ais are this week’s recipients of the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Awards presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation.

Willcox, a native of Everett, Mass. and a graduate of Milton Academy, completed 21-of-37 pass attempts for 288 yards and three touchdowns (75, 9, 27), including the game-winner with 21 seconds remaining, as the Bears rallied from an 18-point third quarter deficit for a 31-28 victory over Harvard. His last two scores came in the final 5:07 of action and gave Brown its first victory over the Crimson since 2010.

Ais, a native of Stoughton, Mass. and a graduate of Stoughton High School, rushed for a career-high 238 yards on 28 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns (6, 60) as the Chargers won the battle of Northeast-10 unbeatens with a 45-34 victory at Bentley. He accounted for 58 percent of New Haven’s 405 rushing yards on the day, marking its highest single-game total on the ground since 2015.

For the tenth straight year, the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation is the presenting sponsor for both the weekly and end-of-year Gold Helmet Awards presented to student-athletes from FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III institutions throughout New England.

The weekly Gold Helmet recipients will be  honored at the New England Football Writers Captains and Awards Banquet presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts of the National Football Foundation on Thursday, December 12, at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center. 

2024 Recipients

University Division

September 7 - Thomas Castellanos, Boston College

September 14, Seth Morgan, New Hampshire

September 21 - Lewis Bond, Boston College

September 28 - Jake Willcox, Brown University

College Division

September 7 - Arsen Shtefan, Springfield College

September 14 - Kha'lil Eason, New Haven

September 21 - Josh Tracey, Post University

September 28 - Christopher Ais, University of New Haven