Ranking Utah football's hand-painted helmets over the years

SALT LAKE CITY — On Saturday, Utah football players will don a hand-painted helmet as part of a yearly tradition the university started in 2016 with the traditional black drum and feather logo.

This year's helmet features a nod to the Polynesian culture. The words "Malama Lahaina" are written on one side — a tribute to the people impacted by the devastating fires in Maui — and the interlocking U. logo in front of tribal designs on the other side.

The helmets pay homage to the prominent Polynesian culture inside Utah football's program.

At KSL.com, we decided to have the staff rank our favorite helmets over the years, with this year's helmet being the all-time favorite out of the eight produced.

1. Malama Lahaina

There have been some great helmets of the years, but this is the clear favorite among the staff. From its design to what it means to the football program, it's difficult to top the Malama Lahaina helmet.

2. USS Salt Lake City

Outside of one of the military academies, it's not common to see a naval ship on the helmet of a football program; but what the university did here was truly a work of art. It was an homage to the USS Salt Lake City that was a World War II heavy cruiser.

"One Ship. One Game. One Legacy."

What happened on the field that day was arguably one of the biggest moments in Utah football history as the team dominated Oregon en route to what would eventually be the team's first Pac-12 championship and first-ever Rose Bowl berth.

3. 22 Forever

After a difficult two seasons, in which the Utah football program had two players die over a nine-month period, the university decided to pay a tribute to its fallen teammates Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe with the "22 Forever" helmets.

For the players, having their brothers on their helmet meant everything in a trying period. Those same players, who would have been seniors this season, will be honored on Saturday as part of senior night.

4. 1966-67 Throwback

Some argued that Utah looked like Ohio State on the field, but it was actually a throwback to Utah's jerseys from 1966-67. The helmet isn't flashy, but simply features a grey look and interlocking U. logos on each side of the helmet. But the attention to detail is what really makes this helmet shine.

5. Black Drum & Feather

The drum and feather logo remains a classic logo, especially as it honors the Utes tribe that continues to let the university use its name. This was the first hand-painted helmet design, and it did not miss. The detail is perfect as it highlights the classic logo.

6. Red Tailed Hawk

Similar to the drum and feather logo, the official mascot of the university, the red tailed hawk, became a classic.

7. The MUSS

The Mighty Utah Student Section has been well-known for its raucous environment and how it impacts games. What better way to honor the student section than to don a helmet in their name. The intricate designs are even better in person, but the helmet still splashes off the page.

The one drawback is that it's the only hand-painted helmet design in which Utah lost a game.

8. Throw The U.

It's a great design for the hand gesture Utah fans make during the game. But if you can only see one side of the helmet, it look like someone is making an "L" gesture — or a loss. The helmet is still worthy of praise, but it was clearly the least favorite among the staff.

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