🏈 White Helmets

[Duder]

I know they were worn in the past. I've Googled this to the end of my patience and cannot find an answer. What game(s) did they wear the white helmets in 1965 or 1966? Some info says it was only on eligible receivers during night games, other sites say it was when the opposing team's colors were too closely matched. I'm going to rely on some of the Bama historians here to answer this one for me, or at least point me in the right direction.

My head may well explode if you find some web site that spells it out, because I certainly could not.

 

[TerryP]

If Howard or one of those guys can't answer that I'll get into my bookshelf. Just glancing at it I know it is in one of three books...all of which are a few hundred pages.

 

[TerryP]

I'd be willing to bet you could find the answer with a phone call to the Museum.

 

[JoshB]

White-shelled helmets were used by Alabama occasionally during both the 1960s, and in 1983 and 1984. According to information at the team's web site, crimson helmets were apparently first used during the modern era for a Bowl game on December 17, 1960 vs. Texas (white helmets had been used during the 1950s). Crimson helmets were then used for several years, but "at times during the 1960s, Alabama used white helmets on eligible receivers in games at night or when another team¹s helmet matched or resembled ours in color" - one report I have received indicates that this was done only for a single season (year unspecified) before an NCAA rule was instituted mandating that all players on each team use the same color helmets. There were also occasions during the late 1960s when the entire team team used white helmets. This was also the case during at least two games in 1971, vs Southern California and Houston; the Houston game was the last occasion when white helmets were used by Alabama until 1983. (Source: http://www.rolltide.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8000&ATCLID=291762).
White helmets were again used for some games in 1983 and 1984. In 1984, white helmets were used for road games and crimson ones for home games, but this scheme was apparently not in place in 1983 - Alabama used white helmets during at least one home game (vs Mississippi State). Games at LSU, at Boston College, and at Vanderbilt in 1983 are three other known instances of the white helmets having been used in 1983.
*1 This design was apparently used during most of the 1969 season, but a report I received earlier indicating that the team had not used white helmets in 1969 has been falsified by the photograph below, which is from Alabama's 1969 game against Virginia Tech - it shows that Alabama used white helmets with the "100" logo during at least one game. The color of the football-shape is unknown (though it was in all likelihood crimson or red). I would appreciate a clear color photograph of this helmet design.


http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/sec.htm

That was the very FIRST thing that came up when i googled "Alabama white helmets"

 

[Hoos4Tide]

White-shelled helmets were used by Alabama occasionally during both the 1960s, and in 1983 and 1984. According to information at the team's web site, crimson helmets were apparently first used during the modern era for a Bowl game on December 17, 1960 vs. Texas (white helmets had been used during the 1950s). Crimson helmets were then used for several years, but "at times during the 1960s, Alabama used white helmets on eligible receivers in games at night or when another team¹s helmet matched or resembled ours in color" - one report I have received indicates that this was done only for a single season (year unspecified) before an NCAA rule was instituted mandating that all players on each team use the same color helmets. There were also occasions during the late 1960s when the entire team team used white helmets. This was also the case during at least two games in 1971, vs Southern California and Houston; the Houston game was the last occasion when white helmets were used by Alabama until 1983. (Source: http://www.rolltide.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8000&ATCLID=291762).
White helmets were again used for some games in 1983 and 1984. In 1984, white helmets were used for road games and crimson ones for home games, but this scheme was apparently not in place in 1983 - Alabama used white helmets during at least one home game (vs Mississippi State). Games at LSU, at Boston College, and at Vanderbilt in 1983 are three other known instances of the white helmets having been used in 1983.
*1 This design was apparently used during most of the 1969 season, but a report I received earlier indicating that the team had not used white helmets in 1969 has been falsified by the photograph below, which is from Alabama's 1969 game against Virginia Tech - it shows that Alabama used white helmets with the "100" logo during at least one game. The color of the football-shape is unknown (though it was in all likelihood crimson or red). I would appreciate a clear color photograph of this helmet design.


http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/sec.htm

That was the very FIRST thing that came up when i googled "Alabama white helmets"

Saw that same thing... Give him a break, he's an Aub.. haha just kidding, Duder, cuz I dont know if that website really answers the question anyways...

 

[Hoos4Tide]

You know, I had never heard of these white helmets honestly, I'm young enough to not have ever heard... But, I think that would be really cool to occasionally even pull those out-- though I know Saban would never agree to do that, he cares so little about that kind of thing...

 

[Duder]

Note that I asked if anyone knew which games the team wore them in two specific years. I appreciate a sarcastic response as much as the next guy but, as Hoos pointed out, that excerpt doesn't answer my question. I found that info also.

 

[planomateo]

you probably found this site already... http://www.helmethut.com/042006.html

I'm no historian, but I'm a sarcastic a$$

 

[TerryP]

i can't find the guy in the pic...

 

[TheChief]

I attended some of the games in 1983 and 1984, and I really don't remember the helmets. I'm not saying Bama didn't wear the white, but I don't remember it. I wish I had taken some pictures.

 

[Duder]

you probably found this site already... http://www.helmethut.com/042006.html

I'm no historian, but I'm a sarcastic a$$

Had not found that site, actually. Thanks for the link

 

[psychojoe]

I don't remember anything special on this, other than Coach Bryant's comments about using the white helmets to make receivers more visible to the QB. Sometime during ray Perkins time at 'Bama someone asked him why didn't Alabama get a helmet that was distinctively Alabama. His comment was that our simple crimson helmet with the player's number on it was distinctively Alabama.

 

[jdpas29]

i can't wait to see Bama on the field with white helmets and CRIMSON PANTS!!! :hyper::hyper::wife::wife::rofl:

 

[tidentrue]

I say wear the white helmet when they go to Penn State...everybody hates us anyways.:bootyshake::bootyshake:

 

[psychojoe]

That old picture and the description beneath bring back to mind one of the most egregiously bad calls I've ever seen, on the fleas flicker referred to. Hodgson was on his knees when Kirby Moore's pass came into his hands. If you ruled that he caught the ball then he was down where he caught it and the game was over. If you said he did not catch it, but batted it into his teammate's hands, then there should have been a flag, because by rule two offensive players in a row couldn't touch a forward pass after it was thrown.

Our #83 in the white helmet was tight end Wayne Cook, who also played on the goal line defense unit.

 

[bamer]

I attended some of the games in 1983 and 1984, and I really don't remember the helmets. I'm not saying Bama didn't wear the white, but I don't remember it. I wish I had taken some pictures.

I'm 38 and vaguely remember them in '83 and 84'. Of course that was before EVERY game was on television. I researched pretty intensely awhile back trying to find pics but there not a lot out there. Saved this one of Bennett. I've seen one of Walter Lewis and I've got an old magazine somewhere with pic of Shula taking snap from I believe Wes Neighbors donning the white helmets.

I remember thinking they were pretty cool back then but I also remember my parents not liking them. I never really understood why but I think Perkins took some grief over it back then, of course he tried to change a lot of things which ticked people off. That may be why people were so resistant to them back then, people saw it as another example of him changing everything. I wouldn't mind seeing them make an occasional appearance now because I still think they're cool. Heck, it's not like there not traditional. They were worn before Bear, he used them and they've been used since. Everyone has their own opinion though.

 

[4th-and-1]

View attachment 1766

I'm 38 and vaguely remember them in '83 and 84'. Of course that was before EVERY game was on television. I researched pretty intensely awhile back trying to find pics but there not a lot out there. Saved this one of Bennett. I've seen one of Walter Lewis and I've got an old magazine somewhere with pic of Shula taking snap from I believe Wes Neighbors donning the white helmets.

I remember thinking they were pretty cool back then but I also remember my parents not liking them. I never really understood why but I think Perkins took some grief over it back then, of course he tried to change a lot of things which ticked people off. That may be why people were so resistant to them back then, people saw it as another example of him changing everything. I wouldn't mind seeing them make an occasional appearance now because I still think they're cool. Heck, it's not like there not traditional. They were worn before Bear, he used them and they've been used since. Everyone has their own opinion though.

the old folks didn't like them at all.. my dad still says stuff about perkins and the white helmets from time to time..

 

[planomateo]

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