UConn’s Bell, Wesleyan’s Fitzsimons Named 2025 Week 10 Recipients of NEFW/Grinold Chapter Gold Helmet Awards

University of Connecticut senior receiver Skyler Bell and Wesleyan University junior quarterback Matt Fitzsimons 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.

Bell, a native of the Bronx, N.Y., and a graduate of the Taft School, caught 8 passes for 149 yards and touchdowns of 26, 9 and 39 yards in UConn’s 38-19 win over Alabama-Birmingham. Bell tied his career-high for TDs in a game, giving him 11, which ties the UConn season record for TD catches, and is the most by a UConn receiver in the Huskies' FBS era.

Fitzsimons, from Somers, N.Y., and a graduate of Somers High School, earned his second Gold Helmet of the year by going 29-50 for 458 yards and 3 touchdown passes in Wesleyan's 34-28 OT win at Williams. Fitzsimons threw scoring strikes of 22, 9 and 24 yards, throwing two TD passes in the final 2:48 of the fourth quarter, sending the game into OT. The 458 yards passing broke a Wesleyan single-game record that has stood for more than two decades. 

For the eleventh consecutive 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 awards will be presented at the NEFW Captains and Awards Banquet on December 11, at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center.

For more information on the Grinold Chapter, please visit www.grinoldchapter.com. 

2025 NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION

WEEKLY GRINOLD CHAPTER GOLD HELMET AWARD RECIPIENTS

Division I (FBS/FCS)  

September 7   Dylan Lonergan, Boston College

September 14 AJ Duffy, New Haven 

September 21 Carlton Thai, Merrimack

September 28 Jack Snyder, Sacred Heart

October 5 Elias Archie, Brown

October 12 Mitchell Summers, Sacred Heart 

October 19 Joe Fagnano, UConn

October 26 Matt Vezza, New Hampshire

NOvember 2 Skyler Bell, Connecitcut

Division II/III

September 7   Harrison Hensley, Coast Guard

September 14 Israel Hiraldo, Post

September 21 Sean Burns, Coast Guard 

September 28 Jay Kastantin, Assumption

October 5 Matt Fitzsimons, Wesleyan

October 12 Ryan Lanskey, Bates

October 19 Montie Quinn, Curry

October 26 Dominic Hess, MIT

November 2 Matt Fitzsimons, Wesleyan