The Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award is an American college football award given annually by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston to "the player who by his conduct on and off the gridiron demonstrates a high esteem for the football code and exemplifies sportsmanship to an outstanding degree" among northeastern colleges and universities. In 1982, the award was narrowed to the player deemed to be the "very best, and most academically talented, college football player in New England."
Since 1989, the award has been given annually to two players (with the exception of a single winner in 1996, three winners in 2007 and 2015, and no award given during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic), one from a Division I football program, and one from a small college.
The award is the fourth oldest collegiate football award in the United States, following the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and George "Bulger" Lowe trophies.
The award is named after the founder of the Gridiron Club, Nils V. "Swede" Nelson, a former college player at Harvard and coach. Nelson was a member of the unbeaten Harvard football team that defeated Oregon in the 1920 Rose Bowl.
The inaugural winner of the trophy was quarterback Perry Moss of Illinois in 1946. Other notable winners of the award include Doak Walker (1949), Johnny Bright (1951), Floyd Little (1966), Dick Jauron (1971), Otis Armstrong (1972), Tom Waddle (1988), Jay Fiedler (1992), Matt Hasselbeck (1997), Mark Herzlich (2009), Anthony Castonzo (2010), and Zach Allen (2018).
Past winners Year Player Position School2025Edwin KolengeDE Boston CollegeCarter PeevyQB MaineTyler PohlmanDB Springfield College2024 Austin Gentle OLHarvardMichael BerlutiQBTufts2023 Justin Anagonye OL Brown Brady Klein RB MIT2022 Vinny DePalma LB Boston College Tony Hooks LB Bates College2021 Peter Oliver RB Holy Cross Mike Pedrini RB Tufts 2019 Jake McIntyre K Harvard Nick Bainter OL Springfield College2018 Zach Allen DL Boston College Joe Wilson OL Wesleyan University2017 Peter Pujals QB Holy Cross Chris Hayden OL Springfield College2016 Justin Wain P Connecticut Mark Upton LB Bates College2015 Brian Strachan WR Brown Anthony Massucci DB Stonehill College Ty Spencer WR Fitchburg State2014 Tyler Varga RB Yale Danny Guadagnoli QB Bentley University2013 Devin Brown DB UMass Tim Grupp OL WPI2012 Emmett Cleary OL Boston College Ethan Peterson OL MIT2011 Patrick Witt QB Yale Bryant Johnson QB Bentley2010 Anthony Castonzo OL Boston College Ryan Schmid DL Coast Guard2009 Mark Herzlich LB Boston College Alex Rubino DL MIT2008 Andrew Berry DB Harvard James Oleinik OL MIT2007 Dan Guariglia OL Amherst Ryne Nutt C Central Connecticut Steve Morgan P/K Brown2006 Ed McCarthy OL Yale Brendan Fulmer WR/P/K Williams2005 David Diamond OL Bowdoin Nick Hartigan RB Brown2004 Keron Henry WR Connecticut Fletcher Ladd RB Amherst2003 Steve Fox OL Holy Cross Greg Wood WR Worcester State2002 Kevin Noone OL Dartmouth Chuck McGraw RB Tufts2001 John Richardson OL Boston College Bob Montgomery C UMass Lowell2000 Eric Johnson WR Yale Tim McCarthy OL Middlebury1999 Isaiah Kacyvenski LB Harvard Nicholas Kozy OL MIT1998 Matt Jordan WR UMass Eric Trum OL Tufts1997 Matt Hasselbeck QB Boston College Daniel Lord OL Tufts1996 Joseph DeAngelis OL Trinity1995 Tim O'Brien OL Boston College Mike Rymsha QB Bentley1994 Andre Miksimow OL Boston University Nate Sleeper QB Williams1993 Keith Miller RB Boston College Michael Turmelle DB Bowdoin1992 Jay Fiedler QB Dartmouth Roderick Tranum WR MIT1991 Paul Capriotti RB Maine Paul Oliveira OL Tufts1990 Brad Preble DB Dartmouth Mark Katz OL Bowdoin1989 Ben Cowan OL Boston University Rich Schachner RB Coast Guard1988 Tom Waddle WR Boston College1987 Gordie Lockbaum RB/DB Holy Cross1986 Stan Kaczorowski OL UMass1985 Guy Carbone OL Rhode Island1984 Steve Strachan RB Boston College1983 Matt Martin LB Holy Cross1982 John Loughery QB Boston College1981 Kenny Duckett WR Wake Forest1980 Jerry Pierce LB Dartmouth1979 Tom Bell OL BYU1978 Rick Leach QB Michigan1977 Roy Heffernan RB Middlebury1976 Peter Cronan LB Boston College1975 George Niland OL Trinity1974 Peter Gorniewicz RB Colby1973 James Stoeckel WR Harvard1972 Otis Armstrong RB Purdue1971 Richard Jauron RB Yale1970 Rock Perdoni DL Georgia Tech1969 Steve Smear DL Penn State1968 Vic Gatto RB Harvard1967 Brian Dowling QB Yale1966 Floyd Little RB Syracuse1965 Thomas Clarke OL Dartmouth1964 Arthur Roberts RB Columbia1963 Bob Cappadona RB Northeastern1962 Pat Culpepper LB Texas1961 Joseph Kowalski OL Rutgers1960 Alan Rozycki RB Dartmouth1959 George Roden HB Colby1958 J.W. Brodnax RB LSU1957 Thomas Salvo OL Boston University1956 James Swink RB TCU1955 Don Holleder TE Army1954 Arthur Luppino RB Arizona1953 Don King QB Clemson1952 Joseph Mitinger QB Yale1951 Johnny Bright RB Drake1950 Bob Williams QB Notre Dame1949 Doak Walker RB/DB/K SMU1948 Gordon Long OL Arkansas1947 Everett Dorr RB Boston University1946 Perry Moss QB Illinois
References
External links Gridiron Club of Greater Boston - Nils V. "Swede" Nelson Award Winners