CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After helping the Crimson earn a 14-10 win on the road against Brown, Harvard Football standouts Nathan Bailey and Xaden Benson earned Ivy League weekly awards. Bailey was named the conference Rookie of the Week while Benson took home Defensive Player of the Week honors. Both student-athletes tied program records with their performances against the Bears with Bailey tallying nine receptions and Benson recording three interceptions.
 
A first-year wideout, Bailey made an impact all over the field for the Crimson against the Bears, racking up a game-high 118 all-purpose yards. In the passing game, Bailey made nine catches for a team-best 80 yards, tying Harvard's first-year record with the reception total. The New Jersey native added 21 rushing yards and 17 return yards to meet the all-purpose total. The total was the highest by a Harvard first-year since Aidan Borguet '23 amassed 269 rushing yards against Yale on Nov. 23, 2019.
 
Benson accounted for all four of Harvard's takeaways in the victory over Brown on Friday night by intercepting three passes, recovering a muffed punt and adding four tackles. The performance helped him earn his first career Ivy League weekly honor. Benson's three interceptions tied Harvard's single-game record and made him one of eight players in program history to accomplish the feat. Two of Benson's interceptions ended Brown drives in Harvard territory, including a key second-quarter takeaway at the Crimson 19-yard line that preserved a 14-0 halftime lead. His third interception came with 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter and sealed the victory after the Bears regained possession with an opportunity to take the lead.
 
Benson currently leads the FCS with 2.0 interceptions per game and is tied for the National lead with his total of four. He also leads the Ivy League in both categories and is also first nationally in passed defended with a 2.0 clip through two contests.
 
The recognition is Benson's third award following his performance against Brown. On Sunday, he was named the recipient of the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Award, presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation and today was named the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the week.
 
The Crimson took home two awards in the same week for the first time this season and the first time since 2025 when Jaden Craig (Offensive) and Kieran Corr (Special Teams) earned awards against Penn in Week 8.