Watch Coach DeLong's comments from today's banquetCambridge, Mass. -- November 10, 2010 -- Austin Bateman, a freshman quarterback from Springfield College, has been awarded this week's Division II/III Gold Helmet, bestowed by the New England Football Writers Association and Greater Gridiron Club of Boston. Bateman received this prestigious award at Harvard University today.
It is the first time a Springfield College football player has earned this award since then-junior QB Chris Sharpe won the award four times in 2006. Sharpe, who won a bevy of awards that season, including the Melberger Award as the national Division III Player of the Year, earned the weekly Gold Helmet three times, and was also named the overall seasonal Gold Helmet Award winner at the annual NEFWA post-season banquet.
Bateman, who hails from Ganesvoort, N.Y., had a tremendous game in leading his SC team to a 55-49 Empire 8 victory over St. John Fisher in Pittsford, N.Y. last Saturday. The Cardinals had entered the game with an 8-1 record, and was ranked 26th nationally and third in the East. The freshman has now started three games for the Pride on the season and is 3-0 in those games.
Bateman carried the ball a career-high 37 times for a career-high 237 yards and three touchdowns. His rushing TDs were of 3, 9, and 33 yards. He averaged an impressive 6.4 yards per carry. He also had a career-day in passing, completing five-of-six for 67 yards and another TD in SC's multiple option offense. His passing TD of 21 yards went to junior HB Mark Safer (St. Johns, Fla.). Bateman's most spectacular play came on a third-and-20 in his own territory. He converted that, however, into a clutch 40-yard rushing gain.
Springfield is now 7-2 on the season overall, and has completed the Empire 8 portion of its season at 3-2. The Pride will next play this Saturday versus Union College at 1:30 pm at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field. It will be Senior Day as SC wraps up its regular-season play. SC is still hoping to receive an NCAA or ECAC post-season bid. If it does receive a bid, it would play on Saturday, November 20.
Michael C. “Mike” DeLong ’74 enters his 31st season as a head football coach in the fall of 2012. He enters his 29th year at Springfield College alone. For the past 28 years, he has been the head coach at Springfield, his alma mater. Mike had also been the head coach at Maine Maritime in Castine, Maine in 1979 and 1980. Read more.
