Arizona travels to Hawai’i this weekend for one of the first games of the 2019 college football season, and will commemorate the occasion by wearing helmets that pay homage to the 1,177 servicemen who lost their lives aboard the U.S.S. Arizona during the attacks on Pearl Harbor.
The Wildcats actually wore this exact helmet — which represents the ship’s upper mast and features a simple red “A” on both sides, the date of the Pearl Harbor attack (Dec. 7, 1941) on the front bumper and the ship’s rally cry (At ‘em Arizona) on the back bumper — during their last meeting with the Rainbow Warriors to mark the 75th anniversary of that fateful day.
The helmet was originally paired with a gray jersey and red pants to represented the ship’s hull and keel, respectively, but will be worn with Arizona’s standard road uniform this time around.
In addition to a bell, which belonged to the ship and currently hangs in the student union on the Tucson campus, the Wildcats will wear a “DT” decal on the back of their helmets in honor of late head coach Dick Tomey (1987-2000).
Tomey, who also coached at Hawai’i from 1877-86, passed away in May, shortly after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He is the program’s winningest coach and is best known for his “Desert Swarm” defense.
Check out more photos of the helmet below:
Photos via @ArizonaFBall on Twitter
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