What do the Ohio State football helmet stickers mean?

What’s up with the Ohio State football team covering its helmets with stickers? What’s the history behind the Buckeyes’ tradition? 

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a very notable tradition. Whenever Ohio State plays, it’s incredibly clear that Ohio State football players have small circular stickers covering large portions of their helmets.

The tradition is one that goes back decades, but for many who aren’t familiar with the Buckeyes, or college football at large, it’s something that may seem odd. What do the stickers mean? Why are they placed on helmets? How does an Ohio State player earn a sticker? When did this tradition originate?

Ohio State football: Why do Buckeyes wear helmet stickers?

According to an ESPN article, Ohio State started the tradition in 1968. Ernie Biggs, a member of the Buckeyes training staff, thought of the idea as a way to help motivate players on Woody Hayes’ team. The stickers, small white circles with a buckeye leaf on them, were apparently originally designed in 1950, according to Eleven Warriors.

The stickers are rewarded for multiple reasons.

The easiest way for anyone to get a sticker is for Ohio State to win a game. Everyone gets a sticker that way. If the Buckeyes beat a Big Ten opponent, they get two stickers. A win over the Michigan Wolverines? That results in three stickers.

There are also various accomplishments that individuals and entire position groups can do to receive stickers as well. Of course, those are dependent upon the positions involved. According to ESPN, film studies were used in the past to help determine if a player met a specific grade to receive a sticker.

As the season wears on and players accomplish more and the team wins more, they get more stickers plastered on their helmets.

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