RipsIt reader Torin Roher e-mailed in asking about USC's helmets: "Are the helmets the players wear in practice the same as they wear in the game? It would seem to me that the players would wear the same helmets, as they probably are fit to each head to some degree. But then the turnaround each week to clean and decal all those helmets between the final practice and game (especially road games) would be a monumental task. Can you enlighten me?"
Players wear the same helmet all season, through all practices and games, so there is no musical chairs going on with the team's headgear. The student equipment managers reapply the Trojan decals and clean and polish the helmets for several hours on the Thursday night before every game, which gives them a glowing shine and fresh feel for the players on game days.
Some programs use different helmets for practices and games, but for USC, the one-helmet plan works perfectly because players can get used to the fit and break it in so they're not uncomfortable on game days.
University Southern California Trojans
Tuesday, June 23
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
