Minnesota hasn't won a Big Ten football championship since 1967, but the Golden Gophers are set to have a new look to their helmets this fall.
Coach Tracy Claeys — who the university hired full-time in November after he served as interim boss upon the sudden retirement of Jerry Kill — announced Monday players will receive helmet decals in the shape of bricks (yes, bricks) starting this fall.
From startribune.com:
Gophers coach Tracy Claeys said Monday that the team plans to incorporate helmet stickers this fall with tiny gold bricks that will be awarded for plays that help the team win. Claeys stressed the new stickers will be small, so as not to take over the helmets.
Claeys said a couple months ago that the team was thinking about adding the stickers. The staff is currently looking at designs for the gold bricks. He said the bricks might even be smaller than the bones the Georgia Bulldogs put on the back of their helmets.
Claeys said one goal is to reward plays that might not show up in the highlights. An example would be a wide receiver holding a key down-field block that helps Shannon Brooks or Rodney Smith score a rushing touchdown.
Michigan brought back helmet decals last season, Jim Harbaugh's first as the coach in Ann Arbor. Ohio State has put Buckeye leaf stickers on its helmets for nearly 50 years, a tradition began by legendary coach Woody Hayes.
But bricks? Let's build something great today, Goldy.
