Illinois’ football team has used a lot of helmet designs over the years, but they’ll make history on Tuesday afternoon when they take the field against South Carolina. The Illini, who are hoping to ...

Kodiak Brush doesn’t mince words when it comes to the state of football helmet design. “Most helmets today are designed to win lab tests, not protect players on the field,” he tells me over email.

The helmet is the visual identity of a football team. Some teams in the NFL, such as the Cowboys, Steelers, Packers, 49ers and Raiders, have had the same helmets for decades. The same goes in college ...