Big Ten football: Ranking the 5 most iconic helmets in the conference

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – NOVEMBER 20: A general view of Penn State Nittany Lions helmets on the sidelines during the second half of the game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium on November 20, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

2. Penn State

Since the birth of Nittany Lion football, few additions or changes have been made to Penn State’s iconic helmets. Though some may not enjoy the simplistic design of the helmet, there is no denying that Penn State’s helmet has become one of the best-known helmets in college football.

Starting in 1941, the Nittany Lions changed from the typical leather design of their helmets and decided to paint them white. This all-white helmet was worn from 1941-to 1948. In 1949, however, the program made one fundamental change to the outside of the helmet: a single stripe was painted down the middle.

Penn State wore this simple, single-stripe design for nearly a decade after (as hard-shell helmets were making their first debuts). In 1957, the program once again made a subtle change.

In 1957, two additions were made to the Penn State football helmets: the addition of the early-generation face mask and painted numbers to the sides of the helmets. Like the rest of the Nittany Lions’ uniforms, Penn State’s helmets once again did not change until the early 1960s.

Though a subtle change at best, Penn State removed the numbers in 1962 and kept the classic white helmet with a single blue stripe down the middle. These numberless helmets with gray facemasks stuck around until 1967 when the numbers were added back to the sides of the helmet.

The numbered helmets were kept until 1975 when the program removed the numbers from the team’s full-time helmets for the rest of Penn State’s history.

In 1986, Penn State darkened the grey of the face masks, though no other changes were made for a few years. In 1988, the team shaded the facemasks even more, making a facemask a matte black. This design was kept until the present day. Penn State also adds the word “Lions” and “Penn State” to the front nameplate of the helmet, though this change was subtle and frequently tweaked. The team’s modern helmets feature Penn State’s athletic department logo on the nameplate in place of the school’s name.

Penn State’s only real alternate helmets are brought back periodically for one-game use, usually making an appearance every season. These helmets are “throwback” helmets and feature the standard PSU helmet design with painted black numbers and gray facemasks on both sides of the helmet. These helmets are meant to pay tribute to PSU football teams and alumni of the past.

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