Official Press Release
Westfield State senior football standout Josh Mathieu has picked up another prestigious award as he has been named the New England Division II and III defensive player of the year by the Greater Gridiron Club of Boston.
Greater Gridiron Club president Steve Grogan made the announcement this week that Mathieu and Maine Maritime running back Jim Bower will receive the 14th annual Joe Zabilski Award as the top players in Divisions II and III in New England.
Division I recipients of the 71st annual George “Bulger” Lowe Award - “New England’s Heisman Trophy” - are Boston College linebacker Mike McLaughlin and Brown University wide receiver Buddy Farnham. The players of the year will be honored Jan. 14 at an awards banquet in Burlington.
Mathieu is the second Westfield player to receive this prestigious award. First-team All-America linebacker Josue Zamora was the Greater Gridiron Club of Boston’s defensive player of the year in 2001.
“This is a great honor for Josh and it is an honor you do not see too many defensive backs receiving,” said Westfield head coach Steve Marino. “We had one of the best, if not the best, defenses in my 20 years at Westfield and Josh was a major reason for it.”
Mathieu, a Fitchburg native, is a four-time New England Football Conference (NEFC) all-conference selection. He was the 2009 NEFC Bogan Division defensive player of the year and was selected to the New England sportswriters Division II/III all-star team.
Mathieu leads the NCAA Division III nationally in passes defended. He set a school record with 15 pass breakups and tied a school record with seven interceptions. He holds school career records with 38 pass breakups and four interceptions returned for touchdowns. He ranks second on the career charts with 19 interceptions.
Led by Mathieu, Westfield ranks first in the NEFC and sixth nationally in scoring defense (11.5). The Owls posted a 7-3 record in 2009, dropping three games by a total of 12 points.
The Owls lead the NCAA Division III in pass efficiency defense, rank second in turnover margin, and fourth in interceptions.
Josh Mathieu returned four interceptions for touchdowns in his standout four-year career.