Hand painted helmets burst onto the scene with Navy's special helmets for their rivalry game with Army a decade ago.
Since then, a number of other teams have put their own spin on the trend, but these new lids from Boise State are something special.
Yesterday, the Broncos announced they will wear custom hand painted "Front Porch of Idaho" helmets for their matchup against Appalachian State later this month.
Crafted by artist Amrando Villarreal, who has done a number of helmets across college football over the years, the helmets salute key icons of the Boise community.
On the right side of the helmet is a galloping Bronco, while the left side features the Idaho State capitol with a backdrop of Idaho's scenic foothills. The back of the lid is highlighted by Albertson's Stadium and the iconic blue turf sitting above a bunch of trees lining the Boise River.
Villarreal, the artist responsible, is one of the top artists in the specialized field and has been chosen to do custom airbrushed helmets for 12 programs dating back to 2018. Programs that have brought him in include BYU, Maryland, Michigan, Tennessee, UCF and Utah, among others.
The school's release shares that each helmet begins with sanding of the helmet surface to provide an ideal surface for the paint and design, followed by the helmets being scuffed, airbrushed, and cleaned.
The entire process for each helmet, from start to finish, takes about three hours. For Villarreal, who left his job to become a full-time artist in 2022, it takes at least two months to complete an entire order for a team.
"Front Porch of Idaho" is a fitting name for these special alternate helmets, as Boise State is the only FBS program in a state without an NFL, NHL, MLB, or NBA team and the Broncos economic impact on the community is something that cannot be overstated.
The Broncos, coming off two straight Mountain West titles and a College Football Playoff appearance last fall, have put together 27 straight winning seasons, and have been an incredible 142-16 at home on the Smurf Turf since 2000.
The Broncos dropped their season opener to a South Florida squad that went on to beat Florida in the Swamp, and got back on track with a win over FCS Eastern Washington last weekend in dominant fashion, 51-14. They are off this week, will play at Air Force next Saturday, before donning these helmets against App State on September 27th.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
@BroncoSportsFB
