Essentially the most recognizable a part of a soccer uniform is the helmet, which units the workforce aside from all the others with its distinctive format. Although it has not all the time been that approach, because the years have handed the preparations adorning a workforce’s headgear have turn into extra elaborate and ornate whereas additionally going via design modifications to enhance its main job: to guard the participant’s noggin.
Probably the most iconic helmets within the nation is one worn by the Florida soccer workforce, whose script “Gators” has been emblazoned on a discipline of orange for the previous 4 many years. However within the seasons previous the introduction of the fashionable design, UF went via many modifications earlier than touchdown on perfection.
Under, we now have listed all the earlier helmet designs worn by the College of Florida’s soccer gamers all through the ages courting again to the pre-1946 period, from the earliest to most up-to-date — together with trendy novelty designs. Scroll down and take a stroll via the historical past of the Orange and Blue.
Pre-1946: Leather-based helmets
Chuck Hunsinger, Nineteen Forties. (Courtesy: College of Florida SID)
The unique leather-based helmet didn’t supply a lot in the way in which of selection when it got here to design, and even much less when it got here to security because the tender helmets did little to guard from direct impacts whereas the absence of a facemask carries its personal apparent dangers.
1946-55: Arduous helmets with no facemask
“We Beat Georgia!” 1950. (Courtesy: College of Florida SID)
From the mid-40s to the mid-50s, soccer gamers received an improve transitioning to arduous helmets. Nonetheless no facemasks, nevertheless, however one can see the genesis of team-based helmet designs rising.
1956-62: White helmets with a stripe and numbers
Billy Cannon (20) Louisiana State star again, is raised into the air by the middle of the UF line. Florida gamers within the deal with, Jimmy Givens (87) finish, Danny Royal (77) deal with, Bob Wehking (58) middle, in foreground is Doug Partin (32) Florida again. (AP Picture)
This period represents the true starting of the fashionable helmet design: arduous shell, facemask (albeit only a solitary bar) and distinct team-based markings — together with particular person participant numbers.
1962: Stars and Bars helmet (vs. Penn State – Gator Bowl)
Larry Dupree (35) College of Florida Again drives for an eight-yard acquire within the first quarter of the Gator Bowl Recreation, Dec. 29, 1962, in Jacksonville vs. Penn State. (AP Picture)
There’s a very fascinating historical past behind this once-worn helmet design. Again in 1962, the Penn State Nittany Lions, an unbiased workforce on the time with a 9-1 report didn’t wish to play Florida (9-4) within the Gator Bowl. In an effort to rattle its opponent, UF emblazoned the Accomplice battle flag on its helmets and went on the upset PSU, 17-7. Additionally notice that the facemask features a second bar on this design.
1963: Blue helmet with stripes and numbers
Florida 10, Alabama 6, Oct. 12, 1963. This was the primary loss for the Crimson Tide of their dwelling stadium since 1957, and probably the most factors scored towards an Alabama workforce since 1959. (Courtesy: College of Florida SID)
Florida blended issues up this season with their design, going with a darkish blue with three stripes throughout the highest of the helmet — the outer two white with the inside stripe orange. Participant numbers remained on the edges.
1964-65: Blue helmet with stripes and F brand in circle
Florida coach Ray Graves conducts a critical dialog in New Orleans with a number of members of his soccer workforce, Dec. 30, 1965, The gamers are halfback Richard Trapp (44), quarterback Kay Stephenson (15), finish Paul Ewaldsen (85), and fullback Wayne Barfield (48). (AP Picture/Horace Cort)
Florida blended issues up a bit once more for the following two seasons, switching to an F with a circle emblem whereas working only a single orange stripe over the blue helmet.
1966-67: White helmet with stripes and F brand
Quarterback Steve Spurrier turns the nook towards Georgia Tech, 1967 (Courtesy: College of Florida SID)
That is the helmet design in the end made fashionable by Steve Spurrier’s Heisman Trophy marketing campaign in ’66. Whereas its use continued into the next yr, the workforce noticed a number of modifications all through the season.
For the primary two video games, the helmet bore only a single strong stripe over the top-middle whereas retaining the F brand. Nevertheless, for the next 4 video games, they reverted again to the pure 1966 design earlier than ending the yr with the outdated design however with the participant numbers changing the F brand.
1968-78: Helmet with stripe and UF brand
Florida defensive finish Jack Youngblood (74) leans over a block by Tennessee again Don McLeary (36) to place hand within the face of Vols quarterback Bobby Scott at Neyland Stadium Oct. 24, 1970. (Joe Rudis/The Tennessean)
The following helmet design, which was launched by Ray Graves and worn for the next decade, adorned the heads of a number of Gator greats together with NFL Corridor of Famer Jack Youngblood. It featured an orange helmet with an interlocked UF brand on the aspect with two outer blue stripes and one inside white stripe stretching excessive of the pinnacle. Additionally notice that the facemask design is changing into extra trendy.
1979-current: Basic orange Gators script helmet
(Scott Halleran /Allsport)
We have now formally reached the fashionable period of Florida’s helmets, with the acquainted script “Gators” launched by Charlie Pell. This iconic look has been with this system via the careers of Gator greats comparable to Emmitt Smith, Lomas Brown, Wilbur Marshall, Hint Armstrong, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow. There are few designs as starkly recognizable as this one.
2006: White helmet with block F (vs. Alabama – Recreation 5)
(Marc Serota/Getty Pictures)
Thus begins the period of novelty helmet designs, beginning with those worn towards the Alabama Crimson Tide for Recreation 5 of the 2006 season. It encompasses a white helmet with two skinny outer blue strains and one thick inside orange line stretching excessive of the pinnacle, together with a plain blue block F on the edges.
2009, 2015-17: White helmet with italic F
Tim Tebow prepares to move. (Paul Abell/USA TODAY Sports activities)
In later years, Florida rolled out a design much like that 2006 helmet however with a blue italics F on the aspect with an orange border. Tim Tebow’s workforce was the primary to put on it and was most not too long ago utilized in 2017.
2010: Orange Gators script helmet sans stripe (vs. Georgia – Recreation 10)
Trey Burton celebrates following a landing. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Pictures)
One other one-off design is that this one worn towards the Georgia Bulldogs in Recreation 10 of the 2010 season. The helmet lacks the standard stripes over the pinnacle and the orange discipline encompasses a scaly Gator pores and skin texture. This design can be a precursor to a way more overtly reptilian look later.
2015-20: White Gators script helmet
Treon Harris on the run. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports activities)
This design turned Florida’s de facto alternate helmet over the second half of the 2010s, which is actually the traditional look on a white discipline. It was final seen in Recreation 7 of the 2020 season towards the Vanderbilt Commodores, which had a slight change within the overhead stripes.
2017: Reptile helmets (vs. Texas A&M – Recreation 6)
Feleipe Franks. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports activities)
One other once-worn design — this time towards the Texas A&M Aggies — the reptile uniforms represented peak Gators chintz. The helmets lacked the textured pores and skin look of the 2010 design and as an alternative seems extra like military-issued gear with its strong camo inexperienced coloration, nevertheless it nonetheless tied the uni collectively properly.
2018-current: Jordan model traditional helmet
(Chuck Cook dinner-USA TODAY Sports activities)
That is primarily the identical because the traditional look, although there have been some minor tweaks made each in look and structural design when Florida signed on with the Jordan model. This represents the true trendy type used at present by the workforce.
2019: White helmet with circled F (vs. Auburn – Recreation 6)
Jeremiah Moon celebrates recovering a fumble with teammate extensive receiver Tyrie Cleveland. (Douglas DeFelice/USA TODAY Sports activities)
That is one other once-worn design that got here towards the Auburn Tigers for Recreation 6 of the 2019 season. In one thing of a throwback to the Nineteen Sixties type, the helmet encompasses a circled block F on a white discipline and a single orange stripe working overhead.
2020: Blue circled F helmet (vs. Missouri – Recreation 4)
Zachary Carter indicators a turnover for the Gators’ protection. (Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Solar)
This one-off design is actually the identical because the 2019 Auburn design besides the helmet is blue and there are three stripes overhead. It was worn towards the Missouri Tigers in Recreation 4 of the 2020 season.
2020: Blue Gators script helmet (vs. Tennessee – Recreation 9)
Kyle Trask seems to be to move the ball. (Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports activities)
Florida wore this design — one more modification of the traditional Gators script look — simply as soon as towards the Tennessee Volunteers for Recreation 9 of the 2020 season. The blue discipline with the orange “Gators” script brand is ostensibly a photograph unfavourable of the first design.
2021: White American flag Gators script helmet (vs. USF – Recreation 2)
Emory Jones. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports activities)
The Gators received patriotic with this look towards the South Florida Bulls in Recreation 2 of the 2021 season. Just like the opposite script “Gators” designs, this one encompasses a white discipline with an American flag sample to the brand together with orange, blue and white stripes overhead.
2021: Orange helmet with traditional UF brand (vs. Vanderbilt – Recreation 6)
Lorenzo Lingard and Donovan McMillon run a play. (AP Picture/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Florida threw again the clock to the Seventies with its interlocked brand on the orange helmet design in its homecoming recreation towards Vanderbilt for Recreation 6 of the 2021 season. Whereas it bears a hanging resemblance to the one worn by Jack Youngblood, it lacks the overhead stripe the older one had.
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