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30 best jerseys in college football

By Gabe Henderson

BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 14: Derrius Guice
BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 14: Derrius Guice /
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – APRIL 21: Penn State QB Trace McSorley (9) throws a pass from the pocket during the Spring Football Game on April 21, 2018 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – APRIL 21: Penn State QB Trace McSorley (9) throws a pass from the pocket during the Spring Football Game on April 21, 2018 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

9. Penn State (White)

There is no uniform that puts the beauty of simplicity to the test more than that of the Penn State Nittany Lions. It’s no secret that Penn State is one of the most storied programs in all of the NCAA — the uniforms play a major part in that narrative. Sure, there are iconic jerseys throughout college football such as Michigan, USC and Alabama. However, there are none more iconic than the navy and white of the Nittany Lions. For this reason, seeing Penn State wear anything different would feel like a crime and rightfully so. But, what makes these plain uniforms so mighty? The story behind them.

The Penn State Nittany Lions have essentially been wearing the same jerseys since 1890 when they switched from pink and black to navy and white. Despite this, there have been a few subtle changes over the decades. Even though most of these changes have come as of late, the most drastic change came in Joe Paterno’s early years as head coach. Paterno became the first coach in college football to leave players names off the uniforms. By doing so, he preached unity and playing for the school, not the individual. Other than a few years following the Sandusky scandal in the early 2010s, Penn State has left player’s names off since the 1960s.

Further, the Penn State logo and Big Ten logo was added to the front of the jersey with colored cuffs and collars were removed. Those changes led to the jerseys we see today. A classic all-white uniform. The Penn State logo, Big Ten logo and Nike swoosh are all colored navy, along with the numbers on the front, back and shoulders. The simplicity of the uniform — along with the white helmets — is unique and carries a tale all its own.

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