Sports

Meet Armando Villarreal, the man behind college football’s coolest helmets

Published

1 year ago

November 10, 2024

Meet Armando Villarreal, the man behind college football’s coolest helmets

Armando Villarreal was hanging onto the back of a garbage truck in his hometown of Imperial, Neb., when his phone rang. He quickly hollered to the driver to hit the brakes. Villarreal hopped off and answered the incoming call from Brad Haley, business manager of Schutt Sports, a company that manufactures football equipment. That conversation, which took place six years ago, altered both the trajectory of Villarreal’s life and his artistic career.

If that call goes to voicemail and Villarreal forgets about it, he likely never leaves his municipal job working for Imperial — a tiny city with a population of less than 2,000 in rural southwest Nebraska.

Luckily, he did pick up and listened to Haley’s unusual pitch: to airbrush a specialty helmet for Mississippi State in honor of alum Sonny Montgomery, a World War II veteran and former Mississippi state politician. Villarreal and Haley first met at a retail summit in Las Vegas years earlier, when Villarreal was working for a California-based art production company contracted by professional teams and leagues.

Since then, Villarreal has become a leader in this specialized field. Illinois’ leather helmets honoring legend Red Grange in last month’s game against Michigan were arguably his finest work.

“So iconic as far as the history of football.”
Individually hand-painted, each helmet being worn in the Memorial Stadium Rededication Game went through an intricate process to be ready for game day on October 19th. #Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy pic.twitter.com/CxaZlPR449
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— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) August 7, 2024

Villarreal has done individually airbrushed helmets for 12 programs since 2018, including Utah, UCF, Maryland, BYU, Michigan and Tennessee. A former member of the U.S. Army Reserve who was deployed both to Kosovo and Iraq in the early 2000s, Villarreal did his best to balance his city job with airbrushing hundreds of helmets each year — until 2022 when the demand for his artistry became overwhelming.

Typically, equipment staffers at various programs will reach out to Schutt Sports, which then contacts Villarreal with the school’s pitch. Schutt handles the orders of however many helmets are needed, and they’re eventually shipped to Villareal’s home in Imperial.

“I just have to make sure it looks good on TV,” he said.

Schools will have their own graphic designers send mock-ups to Villarreal. The tricky part is wrapping an image around the entirety of the helmet. Some ideas are simple and easier to apply, such as UCF’s moon design honoring the university’s historical ties to the U.S. space program, or Tennessee’s helmet honoring the Smoky Mountains.

There was one project so intimidating that he initially turned it down multiple times. In 2021, Utah’s director of equipment, Cody Heidbreder, asked Villarreal if he could paint helmets commemorating the passing of Utah players Ty Jordan in 2020 and Aaron Lowe in 2021.

(Video courtesy of Greg Gosse)

“I think I told them four times I couldn’t do it,” Villarreal said. “Cody just kept on me and kept on me. Finally, I said we’ll do it. That was the year I quit my day job because it was so much. It was about six hours per helmet.”

Programs usually come to Schutt and Villarreal with ideas in November and December to prepare for the following season. Right now, he’s finishing Utah’s speciality helmet for its Nov. 23 matchup against Iowa State in Salt Lake City.

“As soon as that’s done, we’ll start working on designs for next year,” Villarreal said.

Helmets sent to Imperial from Schutt will arrive anywhere from May to June each spring.

Villareal receives just the “shell” of the helmet — sans facemask and chin strap — and immediately works on sanding each one down, with the help of his wife and three children. In order for the paint and design to stick properly, the texture of the helmet needs to be much rougher, without as much gloss.

A typical order generally consists of around 150 helmets per team. Some schools order more because they plan on selling or auctioning them off as collectible items. Illinois, Villarreal said, has received such fanfare over the leather helmet that the athletic department is considering a special order after the season.

It takes a minimum of two months to complete an entire order and have it shipped back to the school. The Illinois order took an estimated two hours per helmet, while the Utah helmets that will debut against Iowa State later this month took about four hours each.

“When you’re doing 155 helmets, the 32nd one has to look like the 76th one and the 120th one,” Villarreal said. “They all have to be pretty similar.”

Villarreal occupies space in an old shop his dad uses, and he also relies on his father-in-law, who owns a welding and fabrication shop in town. That’s where Villarreal spends hours with a paint respirator meticulously applying the airbrush design on helmet after helmet.

The business is gaining so much popularity that he and his wife, Lora, are thinking about building their own studio and adding additional manpower if demand keeps climbing. Once upon a time, after returning from his tours of duty, Villarreal was in Florida airbrushing motorcycles. Now he’s at the forefront of college football uniform ingenuity.

“I’ve got to figure out how many we actually do, because ultimately it depends on the design,” he said. “The trouble is, the players don’t report until spring. And then they’ve got to get their helmets fitted. So there’s a tight window in there where I think, how can we do this? How many can we get done?

“This leather helmet for Illinois just exploded. I don’t know what the future holds. There’s going to be a pretty big learning curve in the next year or two.”

Maybe, but that doesn’t mean he can’t take a break and enjoy it. Recently EA Sports College Football 25 updated its video game options to include Illinois’ throwback leather helmets.

“The little kid in me is freaking out,” he recently posted on X. “I’m freaking out!”

The newest addition to The Game. #Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy pic.twitter.com/LfEkTSHPWN
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) October 24, 2024
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(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; All photos courtesy of Armando Villarreal)

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Sports

Illinois knocks off Iowa to reach Final Four after buzzer malfunction delay

Published

11 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Illinois knocks off Iowa to reach Final Four after buzzer malfunction delay

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For the first time in more than two decades, the Illinois men’s basketball team will still be dancing when the Final Four tips off.

Iowa’s underdog run in the NCAA Tournament ended Saturday with a 71-59 loss to a dominant Illinois team. Before Illinois could cut down the nets at Houston’s Toyota Center, a buzzer malfunction caused a loud, roughly 10-minute delay.

The buzzer initially sounded signaling the end of a media timeout with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half. The horn continued blaring for about another seven minutes.

A referee talks with the scorer’s table during an official’s timeout due to a broken shot clock horn during the first half of an Elite Eight game between Iowa and Illinois in the NCAA Tournament Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Players stood on the court ready to play for a couple of minutes before both teams started to warm up as the buzzer continued to sound.

It was finally silenced, to cheers from the crowd, but then the main scoreboard and video screen that hangs over the middle of the court went dark.

The game ultimately resumed with the big scoreboard still off. Two smaller scoreboards at each end of the arena were working.

Freshman guard Keaton Wagler scored 25 points to help secure Illinois’ first Final Four berth since 2005.

Keaton Wagler (23) of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles against Isaia Howard (23) of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center March 28, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

This will be the sixth overall trip to the Final Four for Illinois, which has never won a national title. The Fighting Illini will face either Duke or UConn next week in Indianapolis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

High school baseball and softball: Saturday’s scores

Published

12 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Palisades 2, North Hollywood 1

South Gate 5, Sun Valley Poly 4

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alta Loma 5, Schurr 3

Anaheim Canyon 6, Segerstrom 4

Beaumont 13, San Jacinto Valley Academy 3

Bethel Christian 15, United Christian Academy 1

Brea Olinda 8, Tustin 2

Buena Park 5, Savanna 3

Cajon 9, Granite Hills 5

Claremont 13, Littlerock 2

Compton 12, Compton Centennial 3

Covina 9, San Marino 6

El Segundo 13, Palos Verdes 4

Ganesha 13, Santa Ana Foothill 3

Golden Valley 9, Lancaster 8

Hesperia 8, Miller 7

Katella 6, Canyon Springs 3

La Serna 5, Alhambra 2

Linfield Christian 10, Woodbridge 0

Long Beach Cabrillo 17, Hawthorne 1

Montclair 2, Vista del Lago 0

Moorpark 16, Foothill Tech 11

Oxford Academy 7, Century 6

Rancho Mirage 1, Indian Springs 0

Rancho Verde 9, Riverside Poly 5

San Dimas 13, Irvine 2

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 14, HMSA 11

Sonora 7, Long Beach Wilson 6

St. Paul 5, El Modena 3

Troy 5, Hacienda Heights Wilson 2

Valley View 16, Carter 10

Whittier Christian 9, Estancia 3

INTERSECTIONAL

Dominguez 13, King/Drew 2

Downers Grove 11, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel

Downtown Magnets 12, Long Beach Jordan 5

Inglewood 10, Stella 0

Layton 5, Schurr 4

Kentucky Trinity 5, St. John Bosco 0

Murrieta Valley 10, Galena 7

Orange Lutheran 7, Florida Venice 6

Santa Barbara 14, Douglas 6

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 16, Collins Family 1

St. Bernard 7, San Diego University City 5

Tonopah 23, Lone Pine 8

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

San Fernando 5, LA Roosevelt 3

San Pedro 11, Legacy 1

Sun Valley Poly 8, LA Roosevelt 2

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alemany 9, Canyon Country Canyon 1

Burbank Burroughs 2, Rosary Academy 1

California 16, Whittier Christian 13

California 7, San Clemente 1

Camarillo 4, Chaminade 3

Camarillo 18, Rio Mesa 0

Capistrano Valley 9, Beckman 3

Chino Hills 15, Chino 3

Corona 10, Ridgecrest Burroughs 0

Crean Lutheran 11, Avalon 2

Crean Lutheran 13, Avalon 2

Edison 7, Crescenta Valley 5

Edison 2, Vasquez 1

Irvine 7, Long Beach Wilson 5

JSerra 2, Capistrano Valley 1

Leuzinger 11, Hawthorne 0

Marina 2, Los Alamitos 1

Mater Dei 10, Redondo Union 0

Mira Costa 9, Newport Harbor 3

Palos Verdes 2, Los Altos 1

Paraclete 11, Saugus 1

Rancho Mirage 14, Cathedral City 6

Rosary Academy 7, Fountain Valley 2

San Clemente 7, Whittier Christian 2

Simi Valley 7, West Ranch 1

Simi Valley 5, St. Bonaventure 5

St. Genevieve 7, Sacred Heart of Jesus 4

St. Paul 6, Warren 2

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy d. Hoover, forfeit

Thousand Oaks 8, Rio Mesa 0

United Christian Academy 13, Bethel Christian 5

Vasquez 4, Woodbridge 0

Warren 5, La Serna 0

Westlake 4, St. Bonaventure 2

Westlake 0, Chaminade 0

Westlake 4, St. Bonaventure 2

West Ranch 10, Thousand Oaks 4

West Torrance 6, Hart 0

INTERSECTIONAL

Alemany 11, Arleta 1

Arleta 10, Canyon Country Canyon 8

Downey 6, Legacy 0

Downey 10, San Pedro 0

Granada Hills 8, La Serna 5

Muir 8, San Fernando 4

Muir 12, Sun Valley Poly 3

San Luis Obispo 7, Torres 6

St. Paul 8, Granada Hills 4

Sports

‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin avenges Olympic disappointment with backflip for third straight world title

Published

23 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin avenges Olympic disappointment with backflip for third straight world title

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It seems like Ilia Malinin, the “Quad God,” has done a nice job of moving on from his Olympic heartbreak.

Last month, the 21-year-old Team USA star was the overwhelming favorite to bring home the gold in the men’s free skate. But the unimaginable happened as he fell twice and dropped all the way to eighth place.

However, he has begun to avenge the loss and is now a three-time world champion.

Ilia Malinin from the United States competes during the men free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Malinin shouted and punched the air with relief after finishing a skate that showed he had achieved his desire to “move on” from the Olympics after days of being tormented by his mistakes.

Malinin scored 218.11 in the free skate for a total of 329.40, far ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan on 306.67. Another Japanese skater, Shun Sato, was third on 288.54.

Malinin was blunt about his Olympic performance when speaking to NBC afterward, saying simply, “I blew it,” and said it was a clear mental hurdle from start to finish.

“I just had so many thoughts and memories flood right before I got into my starting pose, and almost, I think, it maybe overwhelmed me a little bit. I’ve been through a lot in my life, a lot of bad and good experiences,” Malinin told reporters.

Gold medalist Ilia Malinin from the United States waves to spectators after the medal ceremony after the men’s free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

LINDSEY VONN KEEPING RETURN TO SKIING ON TABLE DESPITE INJURIES: ‘I DON’T LIKE TO CLOSE THE DOOR ON ANYTHING’

“So, I just feel like it’s the pressure of especially being that Olympic gold medal hopeful. It was just something I can’t control now. The pressure of the Olympics, it’s really something different, and I think not a lot of people understand that. They only understand that from the inside and going into this competition, especially today, I felt really confident, really good,” he added. “But it really just went by so fast I did not have time to process.”

But with some pressure off, Malinin was able to show who he truly is on the ice.

Gold medalist, Ilia Malinin from the United States waves before the medal ceremony after the men’s free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Malinin becomes the first skater to win three consecutive men’s world titles since fellow American Nathan Chen, who achieved the feat in 2018, 2019 and 2021 after the 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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