Army and Navy always treat their season-ending rivalry showdown like the special game it is, and that extends to uniforms. The debut of these Midshipmen helmets was one of the best uniform things ever, but this year’s tops even that.
Navy’s badass helmets have hand-painted ships, custom for each position group
(Update: it turns out Army did something pretty similar, and then Navy wore these again for the Military Bowl against Pitt.)
Keenan Reynolds' helmet. The @NavyAthletics helmets look even better in person. pic.twitter.com/UKj9pFuQj2
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) December 11, 2015 Per release:
The Navy football team will wear Under Armour-Designed “Navy Fleet” uniforms and hand-painted helmets for the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Dec. 12 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia at 3 PM on CBS.
The uniform is inspired by and pays homage to seven of the historic ships that make up the U.S. Naval Fleet. Each ship is detailed on one of seven hand-painted helmets that each player will wear.
Each specific ship corresponds to a set group of player positions, with a rationale for each (some better than others, sure).
• Linebacker: Cruiser- Provides anti-air defense and packs the biggest punch of Naval surface ships representative of the linebackers on the Navy football team
• Defensive Back: Destroyer- Known for significant fire power, speed, and anti-missile defense as are Navy’s defensive backs
• Wide Receiver: Submarine- Predominantly utilized as blockers, wide receivers play a key role in driving the Navy rush attack, taking on a stealth-like persona as they blend into the rhythm of the offense but bring significant fire power when called upon, just like a Naval submarine
• Lineman: Amphibious Assault Ships- Just as a lineman’s job is the create a hole for a running back or linebacker, these ships are utilized to establish the “beach head” that enables the invading force to gain access and ultimately accomplish their objective
• Quarterback: Aircraft Carrier- The QB of the Naval Fleet, the aircraft carrier is the ultimate decision maker; the “quick strike” weapon of the Naval fleet
• Running Back: Littoral Combat Ship- Like running backs, these fast and nimble ships can navigate through both crowded shallow and deep waters
• Kicker/Special Teams: Minesweeper- Much like the specific task of the Navy special teams, this small ship has a unique mission of identifying and eliminating mines
But
wait
there’s
more.
The pants and gloves are dope, too, with DAMN THE TORPEDOES coming right at you.
Go Navy. Go Army. Look awesome. Have boats on your hats.
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