MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Wesleyan quarterback Niko Candido '25 was announced as this week's recipient of the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Award, presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation. Candido's first career Gold Helmet makes it three for the season for Wesleyan as WR Chase Wilson '25 is a two-time Gold Helme recipient in 2023. 

Named the top DII/III player in New England for the week, Candido was the Cardinal offense on Saturday, throwing for a career-high 365 yards on 24-for-48 passing, averaging 15.2 yards per completion. He rallied Wesleyan to a 30-22 win over rival Williams, securing a second straight outright Little Three title for the Cardinals who last accomplished that feat back in 1969-70. 

Candido threw for three touchdown passes and ran for another score while also throwing for a two-point conversion and ran for one, as he accounted for all but two points scored by Wesleyan in the come-from-behind win. Candido hit WR Thomas Elkhoury '24 for a 28-yard TD pass with 9:22 left, kickstarting a 22-0 scoring run to win the game for the Cardinals. Wesleyan took the lead for good with Candido's 20-yard TD pass to TE Matt Luttenberger '24 with 5:04 left then supplied some insurnace with a three-yard TD run with 2:07 to go.

For the ninth 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.

For more information on the Gold Helmet Awards and the New England Football Writers Association, please visit www.newenglandfootballwriters.com, and for more information on the Grinold Chapter, please visit www.grinoldchapter.com.