NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Dante Reno of the Yale football team has been selected as this week's New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Award winner, presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation.

Reno delivered a career performance in the Bulldogs' season-opening 38-28 victory over Holy Cross. The junior quarterback completed 30-of-43 passes for 454 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, setting career highs in each category while leading Yale to 524 yards of total offense.

His 454 passing yards rank second in Yale single-game history, just 11 yards shy of the program record of 465 set by Griffin O'Connor against Princeton in 2018. Reno also recorded the first 400-yard passing performance by a Yale quarterback since Grant Jordan threw for 412 yards against Dartmouth in 2024. His five touchdown passes were the most by a Bulldog since Jordan threw six against Brown in 2024.

Reno is the first Yale player to earn the Gold Helmet Award since quarterback Nolan Grooms received the honor on Oct. 1, 2023.

For the 12th 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. The awards will be presented at the NEFW Captains and Awards Banquet on Dec. 10 at the Renaissance Framingham Hotel & Conference Center.

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