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Utah Football Unveils Incredible Hand-Painted Helmets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Elijah Grayson Murray | Last updated Nov 22, 2024 5:31 PM ET

Utah football is known for many things, but one that catches the eye of the entire college football world every year is the hand-painted helmets the program rolls out for one game every season.

This year, the team decided to pay homage to the Polynesian culture that has shaped the program over the years, and former Utah player Isaac Asiata broke down the meaning behind the design in a post via X.

Asiata revealed that the helmet's design was created by famous Samoan tattoo artist Fred Frost of Frost City Tattoos, and the design is a culmination of specific designs and tribal pieces, from every major island of Polynesia.

It’s all in the #GoUtes | @BookSeatscom pic.twitter.com/gyw5ex8Wum
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) November 20, 2024

He also highlighted that the fusion represents each island and ethnicity of the Polynesian people who have come through as a player or coach in the program.

The inscription on the left side of the helmet reads "Malama Lahaina" which is a tribute to the recovery efforts in Lahaina, Hawaii, in the wake of the 2023 fires. In the background of the phrase is an outline of Lahaina’s iconic Front Street, which was decimated as a result of the fire, and the inscription “Malama Lahaina” when broken down consists of the Hawaiian word “Malama” which means to care for, nurture, and preserve the land and its people.

An incredibly profound statement on a night in which the players who helped achieve this incredible era of Utah football are set to move on from their collegiate days, this helmet will easily go down as one of the best the program has commissioned, and the Utah faithful will be hoping to associate them with a win come Saturday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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