Hollis, New York, senior All-American recognized by New England Football Writers for top offensive performance in Division II and III on Saturday
New England Football Writers Gold Helmet Weekly Recipients
EASTON, Mass. (September 13, 2021) – Stonehill College senior All-America running back Justin Felder has earned the New England Football Writers Weekly Gold Helmet Award for Divisions II and III, presented by the Jack Grinold Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, for the second time in his career.
Felder is the 11th Stonehill football standout to earn the New England Football Writers weekly Gold Helmet for Divisions II and III, with the football program earning the 14th weekly honor in program history. Felder earns his second Gold Helmet after rushing for a school-record five touchdowns to lead Stonehill to a 54-21 victory over Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday night. He led a Skyhawks offense that piled up 552 yards of offense by carrying the ball 22 times for a season-best 183 yards and the five scores. The five rushing touchdowns surpass the previous program record of four set in 1989 and matched three times since – the latter of which coming in 2011.
Felder scored the first two touchdowns of the game in the first quarter on runs of 17 and 4 yards as Stonehill staked out a 20-0 lead early in the second. He added a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter and then his two third quarter scores of nine and 13 yards helped break the game open. He rushed for over 100 yards for the sixth straight game dating back to 2019 and ninth time in his career overall.
Felder, who earned the 2019 NEFBW College Division Gold Helmet Award, first earned the weekly Gold Helmet on November 10, 2019, after he rushed for 300-plus yards for the second-straight week in Stonehill's 34-22 triumph over Pace University. He is one of four running backs from Stonehill to earn the Gold Helmet and joins fifth-year teammate Brian Kearns, Jr. in collecting the award. Felder is also one of three in program history to earn the weekly Gold Helmet twice, joining Kearns, Jr., and quarterback Matt Foltz, '18.
Felder, a D2Football.com Preseason All-American and College Football America Yearbook "Starting Lineup" selection entering the season, leads Division II after two weeks in rushing touchdowns (8), scoring (24.0 points per game), total points (48) and total touchdowns (8), while ranking second nationally in rushing yards (360) and rushing yards per game (180.0/gm) to lead the Northeast-10 Conference in both categories. Felder has surpassed 100 yards in each of the Skyhawks first two games and six straight dating back to his record-breaking 2019.
Felder, who is the first Stonehill football player to be named a candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy, earned a spot on the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches' All-America second team and Don Hansen All-America second team as a sophomore in 2019. The NE10 Most Valuable Player earned All-Super Region 1 honors from Don Hansen (first team) and D2CCCA (second team) that season as well as New England Football Writers II/III All-Star and All-NE10 first team accolades.
Felder rushed for a program-record five touchdowns in Saturday night's win over Southern Connecticut State (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Felder, who set single-season program records in 2019 for all-purpose yards (1,611), rushing yards (1,513), rushing touchdowns (16), total touchdowns (18) and points scored (108), posted Stonehill's first 100-point season in program history and was its first 1,000-yard rusher since Eddie Vachon, '11 in 2010. He enters this weekend having scored a program-record 26 rushing touchdowns in 20 career games played, while ranking third all-time with 29 total touchdowns and fourth with 2,302 yards rushing for his career.
Stonehill New England Football Writers Gold Helmet Award Winners
Justin Felder, Sr, RB – September 12, 2021
Justin Felder, So, RB – November 10, 2019
Brian Kearns, Jr., Jr, RB – September 12, 2018
Andrew Jamiel, So, WR – November 8, 2017
Brian Kearns, Jr., So, RB – October 25, 2017
Matt Foltz, Jr, QB - September 28, 2016
Matt Foltz, So, QB - September 30, 2015
Donovan Phanor, So, CB - September 9, 2015
Logan Meyer, Sr, QB - September 25, 2013
Cruz Parsons, Fr, QB - October 5, 2005
Tyrone Jefferson, RB - 2000
Dan Field, QB - 1995
Tony Dello Iacono, QB - 1994
Mike McLucas, RB - 1994
Stonehill (2-0, 0-0 NE10) is back in action on Saturday, when it opens its NE10 schedule at rival Bentley University (2-0, 0-0 NE10) in Waltham, Massachusetts, at 2 p.m. The Skyhawks return to W.B. Mason Stadium the following Saturday, September 25, to host Assumption University for an NE10 matchup at 6 p.m.
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