# Football helmet marks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105 "2001-11-18T22:17:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/1 "2001-11-18T22:17:57Z")
In college football, some of the players have small marks on their helmets (Florida State has little tomahawks, for example). They appear to be a tally of some kind, since some players have more than others. What do they represent? Touchdowns? Sacks? Something else? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/2 "2001-11-18T22:22:46Z")
I’m pretty sure that the coach determines how they are awarded and therefore it most likely is different from one school to the other. I personally think there is something to be said for **Penn State** where the players don’t even get their names on the jerseys. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/3 "2001-11-18T22:51:06Z")
Florida State [tomahawks](http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/101200/col_4314724.html) ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Feelgud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Major\_Feelgud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Feelgud)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/4 "2001-11-18T23:10:16Z")
They represent good plays. If you see a guy with his helmet full of those marks, he’s probably at least a junior and one of the star players on his team. Not all colleges award these things, but many do. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/5 "2001-11-19T00:52:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > I personally think there is something to be said for **Penn State** where the players don’t even get their names on the jerseys. I’ve been wondering why Penn State has such an unadorned look to their uniforms. The only symbols on their uniforms are the numbers and the Nike swoosh. Their away uniforms make them look like generic beer cans. Anyone know why they’re this way? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/6 "2001-11-19T01:23:05Z")
I believe it’s to promote the team effort over the individual. The Yankees don’t have names on their uniforms either. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/7 "2001-11-19T01:42:37Z")
Reeder, that can’t be the entire answer. Penn State doesn’t even have team symbols on the uniforms. If they’re trying to emphasize teamwork, you’d think they’d at least have those. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/8 "2001-11-19T02:31:54Z")
First time I noticed this was with the Buckeyes several years back. I guess the practice still goes on (I haven’t watched a college football game in years). ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-helmet-marks/94105/9 "2001-11-19T03:14:23Z")
I believe Penn State has such plain uniforms because Joe Paterno, their long-time coach, likes it that way. He is very team oriented, not individual.