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ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 24, ISSUE 6 2
F O O T B A L L F E A T U R E : U N I F O R M S
The Uniform Craze
Purdue trying to keep up in race to look good
BY KYLE CHARTERS
KCharters@GoldandBlack.com
T
aylor Richards doesn't play
Monopoly.
But the senior safety does like
the old-style train logo the Hasbro
board game uses on its railroad sta-
tion cards, and he'd like to see it as
part of a Purdue uniform, perhaps
as a gray design on a black helmet.
It might look great, he says, paired
with a gray jersey and gray pants.
You look good, you play good,
right?
Richards, like many other play-
ers of this generation, has an opin-
ion about game-day looks. The topic
is largely the result of an evolving
uniform explosion in college foot-
ball that started more than a decade
ago.
"I like our uniforms, I do," Rich-
ards said. "I kind of wish we could
change up some combinations here
or there, rather than the standard
all the time. Purdue, though, is
known for its rich tradition.
"But whatever we wear is fine
with me, as long as I'm playing
during those four quarters. … Re-
ally, it's just 'Give me a helmet and pads and we can
go.'"
Yet, options are nice, and Purdue wishes it had more.
The Boilermakers, who wear Nike's Speed Machine unis
(the same as those worn by NFL teams), have six jer-
sey-pants combinations, pairing either a black or white
top with black, white or gold bottoms. The unveiling of
the black helmet midway through last season, adding
to Purdue's traditional gold, gave the Boilermakers yet
another layer of possibilities.
But many other programs have gotten a third alter-
nate jersey, like the black-top looks of Nike schools
Stanford, Florida State and Washington in recent years.
At Purdue, trend-savvy coach Darrell Hazell wants to
turn the Boilermakers into an "en vogue" team of the
Midwest, making the program a bigger draw with po-
tential recruits. Uniforms, he knows, can be an avenue
to do so.
"Absolutely," the second-year coach said. "Recruits,
and even our players, they get excited about wearing
Tom Campbell
Purdue unveiled a new look against Ohio State last season, breaking out its new
black helmets to go with its black jerseys and black pants. For most players, like
Raheem Mostert, it's a favorite.
