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The winged football helmet is a helmet bearing a distinctive painted design and used by some American football teams. Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) debuted the winged helmet on September 30, 1933. Herbert O. "Fritz" Crisler ordered the helmets out of the Spalding catalog for Princeton University, and later introduced them at the University of Michigan. Michigan is the only Division I FBS school to retain the winged football helmet, although variations were used by many teams in the past, especially in the era of leather football helmets. The design is also used by many high school football teams throughout the United States.

Design history

Before 1935, most football helmets shared the same design, but Coach Fritz Crisler added a "winged" design for the Princeton football team, believing it to have practical advantages on the field.^[1] Crisler once recalled his rationale for adding the winged helmet design: "Michigan had a plain black helmet and we wanted to dress it up a little. We added some color and used the same basic helmet I had designed at Princeton."^[2] There was one other consideration. Crisler thought this unique helmet could be helpful to his passers as they tried to spot their receivers downfield. "There was a tendency to use different-colored helmets just for receivers in those days, but I always thought that would be as helpful for the defense as for the offense," said Crisler, who served as head coach and athletics director.^[3]

The materials of the helmets eventually became molded plastic instead of stitched cowhide, and thus the winged helmet's design changed to fit the new composition.^[4] Princeton ceased using the helmet design after Crisler left in 1938.^[5] When Crisler moved to the University of Michigan, his design debuted as the Wolverines' helmet in a season opener against Michigan State.^[6] Since then, the winged helmet has become an icon of Michigan's football program, which held it exclusively for more than sixty years.^[7] The design of the helmet is also used for other athletic teams at Michigan, such as ice hockey, baseball, and lacrosse. In 1998, Princeton University resurrected the helmet design for the Princeton Tigers.^[8]

In addition to college teams, the winged football helmet design has also been adopted by high school and professional squads. For example, Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut, started using a white-on-black version in 1995. Bellevue High School in Washington uses the blue and gold winged helmet on their football team. For one season in 1996, the Connecticut Coyotes of the Arena Football League had a unique tricolor variation: a white helmet with blue wings, a blue center stripe, and red outer stripes. In the 2007 season the Burbank High Bulldogs wore a white helmet with a blue winged design and in the 2008 season the Bulldogs wore a blue helmet with a white winged design.

In 2007, as part of a "throwback" game, the Philadelphia Eagles wore baby-blue-on-yellow winged helmets that were replicas of the Frankford Yellow Jackets headgear in the 1930s. These helmets featured wings with a single center stripe, instead of the usual triple stripes.

Colleges currently and recently using the winged football helmet

Division I FBS

University of Michigan (maize and blue)^[9]

Division I FCS

Saint Peter's College, New Jersey, before it dropped its football program in 2007
Princeton University (orange and black) ^[10]
University of Delaware (yellow and blue) ^[11]

Division II

Southwest Baptist University, stopped in 2008^[12]

Division III

Junior colleges

External links

Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History

References

[1] Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History

[2] Michigan Winged Helmet, Michigan Tradition: Athletics Website

[3] Michigan Winged Helmet, Michigan Tradition: Athletics Website

[4] Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History

[5] Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History

[6] Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History

[7] Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History

[8] ttp://www.princeton.edu/football/helmet.html

[9] Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History

[10] Princeton Football -- Tiger Uniform & Helmet

[11] Delaware Blue Hens Football

[12] Southwest Baptist University Football

[13] Grove City College Football

[14] Gustavus Adolphus College Football

[15] Middlebury College Football

[16] Nichols College Football

[17] Alfred State football

[18] San Bernardino Valley College Football, photos

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Image:Winged helmet.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A miniature replica of the [[Michigan Wolverines football]] helmet]]
-The '''winged [[football helmet]]''' is a helmet bearing a distinctive painted design and used by some [[American football]] teams. Michigan State College (now [[Michigan State University]]) debuted the winged helmet on September 30, 1933. The wings were a Michigan State College symbol two years before [[Fritz Crisler|Herbert O. "Fritz" Crisler]] ordered the helmets out of the [[Spalding (sports equipment)|Spalding]] catalog for [[Princeton University]], and five years before they were introduced at [[University of Michigan]].<ref>[http://www.spartanjerseys.com/michigan-state-football-jerseys/the-official-history-of-the-winged-helmet.html The Official History of the Winged Helmet]</ref> Michigan is the only [[Division I (NCAA)#Football Bowl Subdivision|Division I FBS]] school to retain the winged football helmet, although variations were used by many teams in the past, especially in the era of leather football helmets. The design is also used by many high school football teams throughout the United States.
+The '''winged [[football helmet]]''' is a helmet bearing a distinctive painted design and used by some [[American football]] teams. Michigan State College (now [[Michigan State University]]) debuted the winged helmet on September 30, 1933. [[Fritz Crisler|Herbert O. "Fritz" Crisler]] ordered the helmets out of the [[Spalding (sports equipment)|Spalding]] catalog for [[Princeton University]], and later introduced them at the [[University of Michigan]]. Michigan is the only [[Division I (NCAA)#Football Bowl Subdivision|Division I FBS]] school to retain the winged football helmet, although variations were used by many teams in the past, especially in the era of leather football helmets. The design is also used by many high school football teams throughout the United States.
 ==Design history==
 [[Image:M.S.C. 1933 Winged Helmet.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A full-size replica of Michigan State's 1933 gold and black winged helmet]]
-The official debut of the winged helmet was Michigan State College’s (now Michigan State University) home opener on September 30, 1933. The winged helmets were a Michigan State College symbol two years before they were introduced at Princeton University, and five years before they were introduced at University of Michigan.<ref>[http://www.spartanjerseys.com/michigan-state-football-jerseys/the-official-history-of-the-winged-helmet.html The Official History of the Winged Helmet]</ref>
 Before 1935, most football helmets shared the same design, but Coach Fritz Crisler added a "winged" design for the Princeton football team, believing it to have practical advantages on the field.<ref>[http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/helmet/mhelmet.htm Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History]</ref> Crisler once recalled his rationale for adding the winged helmet design: "Michigan had a plain black helmet and we wanted to dress it up a little. We added some color and used the same basic helmet I had designed at Princeton."<ref>[http://www.mgoblue.com/trads/mich-trads.html Michigan Winged Helmet, Michigan Tradition: Athletics Website]</ref> There was one other consideration. Crisler thought this unique helmet could be helpful to his passers as they tried to spot their receivers downfield. "There was a tendency to use different-colored helmets just for receivers in those days, but I always thought that would be as helpful for the defense as for the offense," said Crisler, who served as head coach and athletics director.<ref>[http://www.mgoblue.com/trads/mich-trads.html Michigan Winged Helmet, Michigan Tradition: Athletics Website]</ref>
@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.spartanjerseys.com/michigan-state-football-jerseys/the-official-history-of-the-winged-helmet.html The Official History of the Winged Helmet]
 *[http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/helmet/mhelmet.htm Michigan's Winged Helmet -- Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History]
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 {{Reflist}}
-{{MichiganStateSpartansFootball}}
 {{Michigan Wolverines Football}}
 {{American football concepts}}
-[[Category:Michigan State Spartans football]]
 [[Category:Princeton Tigers football]]
 [[Category:Michigan Wolverines football]]

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