Army West Point Athletics
Photo by: Danny Wild/Army football
Matteson Named Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week
September 09, 2025 | Football
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point football senior safety Collin Matteson has been named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America following the Black Knights' 24-21 victory at Kansas State.
Matteson anchored a Black Knight defense that limited the Wildcats to just 246 total yards of offense. The Edmond, Okla native recorded five tackles, broke up three passes, and sealed the win by intercepting Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson with 1:35 remaining. Just before that, he denied a deep completion with a timely breakup before the two-minute warning.
Army dominated the second half, out-gaining Kansas State 192-48 in total yardage and 143-5 on the ground. The Black Knights ran 46 offensive plays to the Wildcats' 13 and held the ball for 26:59 of the final 30 minutes. Kansas State's 3:01 time of possession in the second half is the lowest any team has had in the second half since at least 2016.
Each week during the regular season, the FWAA has selected a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week since 2001. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 20. The national defensive player of the year will be chosen from those finalists who are part of the 2025 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec. 8 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Matteson is now officially added to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list as each week's honored player is added at that time. Army's lone winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy was guard Joe Steffy in 1947.
The win marked Army's first victory over a Big 12 opponent since Sept. 23, 2006, when the Black Knights defeated Baylor, 27-24, in overtime. It was also Army's first true road win over a Power Conference program since a 21-13 triumph at Wake Forest on Oct. 29, 2016.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
Matteson anchored a Black Knight defense that limited the Wildcats to just 246 total yards of offense. The Edmond, Okla native recorded five tackles, broke up three passes, and sealed the win by intercepting Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson with 1:35 remaining. Just before that, he denied a deep completion with a timely breakup before the two-minute warning.
Army dominated the second half, out-gaining Kansas State 192-48 in total yardage and 143-5 on the ground. The Black Knights ran 46 offensive plays to the Wildcats' 13 and held the ball for 26:59 of the final 30 minutes. Kansas State's 3:01 time of possession in the second half is the lowest any team has had in the second half since at least 2016.
Each week during the regular season, the FWAA has selected a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week since 2001. The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 20. The national defensive player of the year will be chosen from those finalists who are part of the 2025 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec. 8 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Matteson is now officially added to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list as each week's honored player is added at that time. Army's lone winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy was guard Joe Steffy in 1947.
The win marked Army's first victory over a Big 12 opponent since Sept. 23, 2006, when the Black Knights defeated Baylor, 27-24, in overtime. It was also Army's first true road win over a Power Conference program since a 21-13 triumph at Wake Forest on Oct. 29, 2016.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
Players Mentioned
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