Stoughton's Matt Green Has Had a Record-Setting Career at Bridgewater State

By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- His first stop after graduating from Stoughton High School in 2010 was Dean College in Franklin.

Wide receiver Matt Green was going to gain some experience and add size before he moved on to a four-year college football program.

“I was small,’’ said Green. “I wanted to develop before I started playing.’’

Since his playing time was going to be limited to special teams, Green red-shirted the ’10 season at Dean to save a year of eligibility, so he practiced with the team and worked in the weight room.

Then, during the spring semester of his freshman year, Green decided to look for a four-year school, and his friend and former Stoughton teammate, Anthony Ferzoco, a linebacker at Bridgewater State University, suggested joining the Bears.

“Anthony was playing linebacker for us and brought him to a spring practice and introduced us to him,’’ said head coach Chuck Denune. “It was like, Anthony’s a great team player, he wants his friend to have a shot, we’ll give the kid a shot.’’

A connection was made and Green transferred from Dean to Bridgewater State in the fall of 2011 where he had a typical freshman season, catching four passes for 68 yards in nine games.

From that quiet start, though, Green went on to have a record-setting career for the Bears, a run that is going to end Saturday afternoon when BSU hosts the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in the 36th annual Cranberry Bowl at Swenson Field.

Green is the Bears’ all-time leader with 162 career receptions for 2,677 yards and holds the single-season marks of 69 catches for 1,315 yards (in 2013) in addition to having the highest total of touchdown catches in a season (16 in 2013) and in a game (five against Worcester State last season) while being tied for the most catches in a game (12 in last year’s Cranberry Bowl).

It has been a remarkable career for Green, who is glad that he was pointed to BSU by a fellow Stoughton High alum.

“I always think about that,’’ said Green, who broke records set by Andy Macaione in a career that ended in 2000. “I have no idea where I’d be now. Other schools wanted me to go play, but I don’t regret it. I’m glad I came here. It was a good opportunity.’’

Said Denune of listening to Ferzoco’s recommendation: “It turned out to be a really good decision.’’

Green moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore when he made 32 catches for 482 yards and six TDs, getting more chances when Chris Constantine suffered an injury.

Last season, Green was nearly unstoppable with the 69 receptions for 1,315 yards and 16 TDs, earning All-America honors after finishing second in the country with 131.5 yards per game.

Despite missing two games this season with an injury, Green has 57 catches for 812 yards and seven TDs.

“I knew I had potential,’’ said Green. “I was just waiting for an opportunity to actually show what I could do. Coach (Pat) Callahan (the co-offensive coordinator) really helped me out. We were on the same page from day one when he came over to the offense in my sophomore year.’’

Denune remembers the second game of the 2012 season against UMass-Dartmouth when sophomore Green stepped in and made five catches for 112 yards and a pair of scores.

“We moved him to the slot position to fill that role when Chris went out and he just went crazy,’’ said Denune. “By the time that game was over, we were looking at each other like, ‘OK, we’ve got something special here.’

“He’s a fierce competitor. He’s just kind of a natural athlete. I don’t think a lot of people understand how much he works during a game. Coach Callahan describes it as the ability to bend, to adjust to the ball. He can bend and get to a lot of balls a lot of people just can’t get to.’’

Green has one more chance to wear the No. 15 uniform for BSU, and then his college career will be over. But his name will remain in the school’s record books as a top receiver.

“I wasn’t really too focused on stats,’’ he said. “I’ve never been a big stats guy. I just want to win. But it’s crazy to be mentioned with some of the players who were at this school. It’s definitely an honor.’’