25 for 25: Troy’s Best FBS Helmets
In honor of Troy’s 25th season at the FBS level, we are ranking the Top 25 in several areas of that move. Today we are counting down the 25 best Helmets Troy has worn in FBS.
From Game 1 of the FBS era against Nebraska through the end of the 2024 season, Troy has worn 66 different helmet combinations. If you have followed Troy’s equipment room even half as closely as I have, you’ll know that number was 4 until the Neal Brown era began in 2015—when Troy introduced multiple helmet colors for the first time.
While I have ranked Troy’s helmets before, I’ve never specifically looked at just the FBS ones. While usage in specific games can help, this is simply a visual ranking.
Does it look good or not?
Honorable Mention: Marvin the Martian
I can’t help but give some love to the Marvins. Troy used these for the first three seasons in FBS and were a part of some great games and wins.
However, the Marvins were more connected to the FCS era for Troy and so I can’t give them a spot in the Top 25.
25) Trojan Smokes
I have been vocal about my dislike of the Trojan Smokes for a while now, but this one was easily the best of the lot. The logo wasn’t lost in the black and silver fade effect and the cardinal facemask added the necessary touch to get this one into the Top 25.
24) Troy Script
I’ll talk more about the inclusion of the Troy script on helmets later. The usage of silver decals looked great in the uniform reveals, but the silver tends to fade and blur together on the field, ruining the good look.
This version tried to fix that by adding black accents and a tri-stripe.
23) Troy Script Returns
I was a little shocked to find a photo that so clearly showcased the only issue I had with this helmet—the blur. That being said, I can’t help but love seeing the Troy Script on the helmet.
22) Cardinal and Silver on White
Finding a way to blend as many of our school colors as possible in natural way is always a win for me. This helmet was so close to perfect, but the silver on white needed a bit of definition to keep it from getting lost in the light.
21) Cardinal and Black on White
I absolutely love this combination, but it has a small problem. The cardinal almost looks like it is a fuschia or dark pink.
Other than that, a solid combination.
20) Cardinal on Silver
The line between simplicity and complexity is often a slim one. This one very much toes that line.
If this had been a day game, washing out the logo in the light might kept this one from making the list.
19) Cardinal and Silver on Black
School color perfection. Incorporating the cardinal, silver, and black in a seamless way to give each a place to shine.
18) The Chrome Domes
Admittedly, I did not like these when they first came out. They felt gimmicky, but man, those LSU and Nebraska wins sure changed my tune on them.
The simplicity of the decal set on the chrome was nice, and honestly, I’d love to see them make a comeback, if even for a game or two.
17) White on Cardinal
This instantly became one of my favorite lids when Troy rolled them out against Iowa in 2024. While I like them, the amount of white in the decals and facemasks (to me) limits it to being primarily an away helmet.
16) The Shield
This will undoubtedly be the most surprising placement on this list. One could argue (rightly) that this is the most identifiable helmet with Troy’s FBS era, using it from 2004-2015.
For a generation of college football fans, this is the Troy helmet. Unfortunately for The Shield, the Power T revolutionized Troy’s branding.
15) Cardinal and Silver on Black
One of my favorite aspects of helmets is when everything is paired in such a way that everything complements each other. That’s what this does here.
The tri-stripe and the Power T match and absolutely pop off the black. The silver facemask ties the whole helmet together.
14) White and Silver on Black
Sometimes, helmets look great and are only used once and I’m okay with it. This one is not one of those.
Troy used this against ULM in 2022 and paired it with the Trojan Smoke jerseys and white pants. I need these to be permanently in the rotation when the Trojans go black/black/white or black/white/black.
13) Original White Tri-Stripe
The tri-stripe returned to Troy helmets in 2018 for the first time since 1992. What I loved about their return was that Trojan Equipment found variations of the tri-stripe for all three helmet shell colors: white, chrome and cardinal.
12) Stars and Stripes
For as much as I love the Troy script, it didn’t work as well when the team used it for the Military Appreciation helmets in 2022. The Stars and Stripes Power T on a white helmet should always be the Military Appreciation setup.
Now if we could just bring back the War Machine Gray uniforms.
11) 2013 Blackout Helmet
It is well known in Troy circles that the 2013 ULM Blackout uniform is the most contentious uniform in Troy’s history. It even divides us here at The Wall.
While a lot can be said about the whole uniform, there is no arguing this helmet. It looks absolutely amazing.
The silver accented the look and didn’t lose out on the details. I would have loved for this to have become a second helmet for Troy in 2013 and the first black helmet since 2004.
We had to wait two more years for another black helmet though.
10) The Modern Classic
I know that there are not many who fit the Venn diagram of Troy Helmets and Troy History quite like me, but I loved seeing this one. Seeing the classic tri-stripe that was part of all three Troy’s National Championships on the same lid as the Power T was a great blend of history and aesthetics.
It definitely makes me wonder what the helmets from 1993-2015 would’ve looked like if Troy never abandoned the tri-stripe on the cardinal lid.
9) 2018 Troy State Throwback
This helmet was what started my thought process on #10. The 2018 FAMU game saw the return of the Red Wave and the TS logo for the first time since 1971.
What a piece of alternate history. Troy has worn a throwback logo nearly every year since (2020 is the only exception), and that’s a tradition I’d like to see continue.
8) Cardinal and White on Silver
This was essentially the inverse of our #6 pick, but with a cardinal facemask. The helmet overall looks great, but the white in the tri-stripe got lost in the sun, dropping its rating.
7) Black and White on Silver
If Troy had to make a helmet without using any cardinal, this would be the one. It is quintessentially Troy without feeling like something is missing. Much like our #14 choice, we need to bring this one back.
6) Cardinal and White on Silver
Even though I am a lifelong Falcons fan, there was a brief period in the mid 1990s when the allure of the Cowboys was just too big to avoid. That’s primarily why I fell in love with these.
It doesn’t hurt that Troy hosted (and won) the 2022 Sun Belt Championship Game. They also just looked really cool.
5) 2012 Marines Birthday
The second Shield alternate on this list was one of the most interesting ones, but only once you notice the details.
In general, the helmet looks great with the camo accents, but I didn’t notice that each helmet stripe was different and unique to each helmet. I found that out once I began to photomatch my game-used helmet.
The fact that Troy played Navy on the Marines’ 237th birthday was icing on the cake. The little inedible decoration was Troy “hosting” College GameDay… from the deck of the USS San Diego in San Diego.
4) The Five-Stripe
I’ve been a helmet enjoyer for more than a decade. When it comes to Troy, it takes a lot for the equipment crew to really surprise me.
The Five-Stripe helmet from the 2023 Sun Belt Championship Game and the Birmingham Bowl was a definite surprise. Troy had never used a five-stripe pattern, which is itself a variation on the classic Northwestern tri-stripe.
It is very rare for a newer helmet to be in all-timer territory for me, but the Five-Stripe did just that—and in only two games.
3) The Al Lucas Memorial Helmet
My initial thought when I began to put this list together was that this helmet would’ve been a great alternate to pair with the original Shield helmet. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it would have cheapened the legacy of the Al Lucas Game.
After Lucas’ tragic death in 2005, this was Troy’s way of honoring him and his place in history with a helmet swap and using the uniforms from Lucas’ playing days. This remains a classic and meaningful helmet in our FBS history.
2) The Original Troy Script
I first lobbied to see the Troy script on a helmet in a tweet on November 8, 2019. To say I was ecstatic on October 13, 2022, when this helmet was finally announced would be an understatement.
I understand why some feel this logo looks better for baseball and even softball, but for my money, having your team’s name in a cursive script on the helmet is quintessentially football.
1) The Reverse Troy Script
How can you top a helmet that I waited years to see? Reverse the colors and make it cardinal on white.
The Trojan Wall has long said that white/cardinal/white is The Greatest Uniform Combination Possible. Putting the script Troy on a white lid was the ultimate cherry on top.
In my humble opinion, this is truly the best FBS (and probably best ever) helmet that Troy has worn.
Give me your thoughts on my list and how you would rank them in the comments or @benonsports on Twitter.
All photos directly from Troy Athletics, or Troy Athletics via HelmetHistory.com, unless otherwise noted.