Every year programs across the country release special patriotic helmets that usually feature some form of their logo accompanied by some red, white and blue…and every once in a while a program comes up with something that breaks that mold.

That brings me to Bowling Green’s helmets that they’ll wear for Military Appreciation Day on September 10th against North Dakota, and these new lids are something special.

The helmets will be orange with a brown facemask with the side logos incorporating a camo Pattern and the BG logo in stars-and-stripes.

The center stripe is where things get really interesting, as printed in the stripe are the names of 111 Bowling Green State University students who have died in the line of duty. Helmets for the game will feature one of the 12 different stripes with different names on each one.

The genuine gesture from Bowling Green is a refreshing one in an area that has gotten a little lazy and unimaginative in paying tribute to the military. Kudos to BG for the original idea.

Take a look at more pictures of the helmet below.