For the first time since 2005 and the third time since the inception of the Mount Ida College football program in 1999, a player was selected to receive the Gold Helmet Award presented by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston, the New England Football Writers Association, and the Boston Globe.
Mount Ida College junior pre-season All-American running back Johrone Bunch (Meriden, CT/F.T. Maloney) was the recipient scoring six touchdowns eclipsing 216 total yards rushing in a 41-6 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) victory over Becker College this past Saturday.
On Wednesday, October 13, 2010 Mount Ida College head football coach Michael Landers, running backs coach Roy Lockhart, and Sports Information Director Gregory Antonelli attended the luncheon hosted at Harvard University to watch Bunch accept the award.
Landers expressed how proud he was of Bunch, "JB (Johrone Bunch) were all really proud of you, the family back at Mount Ida is really proud of you. It's not just because you play the game right and how you treat everyone with respect that's involved with the game, it's the things you do off the field that we're most proud of, your character and the way you treat people kindly," said Landers.
"JB continues to do great things on the football field," said Landers. "He is a very special and gifted football player."
Bunch thanked the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston and the New England Sports Writers as well as mentioning his teammates, every offensive lineman, and his roommate, quarterback Scott Drosendahl (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora). He also thanked his family back home in Connecticut.
The first recipient of this award from Mount Ida was eight year head coach Edward Sweeney back on October 7, 2001. Sweeney was recognized after he and the Mustangs captured the first ever victory in the programs history with an 18-0 win over Utica College.
The second recipient was 2006 alumnus Antwan Harris (Hartford, CT) for his record setting performance at the time in a 65-49 shootout victory over visiting Becker College back on September 24, 2005 when Harris tallied 377 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Bunch has since eclipsed many of Harris's rushing records that he set during his tenure as a Mustang.
Bunch broke the school record for scores in a game with his most recent performance against Becker College this past weekend. He surpassed his old record of five touchdowns that was set last season against Castleton State College (five touchdowns, 351 rushing yards).
He then eclipsed the career touchdowns record passing Harris who scored 31 touchdowns in his four year career. After the victory over Becker, Bunch has converted 34 rushing touchdowns in his three year career as a Mustang so far.
He is averaging 163.8 yards a game with 819 total rushing yards for the season averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He is also ranked fourth in the nation for Division III in rushing (819 yards) and is also tied for second place in scoring (13 TD). Bunch is number one overall in rushing in the ECFC as well.
Bunch is one touchdown away from tying the record for scores in a season that he set in 2009 with 14. He now stands at 13 touchdowns for the season heading into another ECFC match-up against hosting Gallaudet University in Washington, DC starting at 12:00 p.m. this Saturday.
JOHRONE BUNCH NCAA STATISTICS HERE
WATCH JOHRONE BUNCH RECEIVE GOLD HELMET AWARD HERE