The Ohio State Football Helmet Stickers Explained: How Do Players Earn the Buckeye Leaf Decals?

NEED TO KNOW

• The Ohio State University football team has helmets covered in buckeye leaf-stamped decals
• Student-athletes first started earning the stickers in 1968 for exceptional plays and wins
• The OSU football helmet stickers have changed over the years, including in size

The Ohio State University football program is one of the most elite in the nation, and its winning culture stems from the motivated student-athletes.

In the late 1960s, longtime head athletic trainer Ernie Biggs suggested a way to reward players: make a major play or contribution to the team and receive a helmet sticker. While legendary Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes reportedly wasn’t immediately on board, he eventually relented.

“Woody wasn't really huge on heaping praise on guys,” Larry Romanoff told ESPN in November 2022. “I don't know how long it took Ernie and the guys to convince Woody to do that.”

Nearly six decades later, the sticker reward system is thriving, with players’ helmets donning buckeye leaf-stamped decals signifying accomplishments. Over the years, the stickers have decreased in size, but the overall message is the same.

“You see a guy with a ton of stickers on his helmet, and you know he’s a dude,” former Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka told the outlet. “The more stickers you have on your helmet, the more respected you are, and the more feared you are by an opponent.”

Here's everything to know about the stickers on the Ohio State University football helmets.

What are the stickers on Ohio State’s football helmets?

The stickers on Ohio State’s football helmets are quarter-sized white decals featuring a green buckeye leaf. The leaves are from the buckeye tree, which is Ohio’s official state tree.

According to the Ohio State University's athletics website, buckeyes are dark brown nuts with a light tan patch, similar to the eyes of a deer. The nuts are poisonous and should not be consumed.

In Ohio lore, carrying the fruit of the buckeye tree can bring good luck.

The term “Buckeye” is typically used to refer to the Ohio State University mascot, but it also includes anyone from the state.

What is the meaning of Ohio State’s football helmet stickers?

As former Ohio State University football coach Urban Meyer told a fan on X inquiring about the significance of the decals in January 2019, “They are stickers and each one means the player did something really good to help the Buckeyes win!”

The stickers are awarded for accomplishments by an individual player, unit or the entire team. For example, a win in the Big Ten conference nets each player two stickers, while a victory against the University of Michigan garners three stickers.

Ohio State orders approximately 7,500 stickers every year, per ESPN.

How do Ohio State football players earn helmet stickers?

Each player starts the season with a blank silver helmet and begins earning stickers with every weekly achievement. If a player winds up with more stickers than can fit on the helmet, the achievement is recorded elsewhere.

There is a specific organization system when applying the stickers. The first sticker is placed on the left side of the helmet, closest to the middle stripe. Each subsequent sticker is added in pyramid formation, with stems facing down and aligned to the contours of the helmet. Equipment managers are careful to avoid obstructing the vents on the helmet.

Each player gets at least one sticker for every win. Another sticker is doled out for each touchdown a player completes, and particularly spectacular plays also warrant a decal. In addition, a quarterback can earn a sticker for reaching an agreed-upon completion percentage.

There is no standard decal reward system, and each coach gives out stickers at their discretion.

Hayes was famously conservative with his sticker distribution. Former Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern recalled the presentation as “a major production." Players received the sticker and a shoulder slap from Hayes in front of the team during the Monday meetings, he told ESPN in September 2008.

But having the sticker revoked was always a possibility. “In true Woody Hayes fashion, he threatened to take [the buckeye leaves] away,” Kern said. “We thought it was tongue-in-cheek, but you never really knew.”

Former OSU coach Jim Tressel prioritized team over individual awards, so touchdowns and interceptions did not guarantee a sticker.

A whole unit would earn stickers if the players met certain criteria, like recording at least five three-and-outs. Special teams players could earn a sticker by forcing or recovering a fumble, and a 45-yard-plus field goal automatically granted kickers a buckeye leaf. Individual players could earn stickers after performance reviews based on film sessions.

Tressel formally set criteria for the decal reward system in 2001, but current coach Ryan Day and position coaches distribute stickers according to their standards. Like Hayes, Day fully leans into the pomp and circumstance.

“He brings up the huddle and yells out, ‘BUCKEYE LEAVES!’ ” Egbuka told ESPN in November 2022. “We celebrate it pretty heavily. He’ll call your name, you stand up out of the pile and you have to shake Coach Day's hand and you can't smile. It's a business transaction. Firm handshake, it’s all business and onto the next guy.”

How have Ohio State football helmet stickers changed over the years?

The biggest difference between the original and current stickers is size.

When the first sticker was handed out to Jim Nein for returning an interception to beat Oregon 30-0 on Oct. 7, 1967, it was notably larger.

"Three stickers would fill the whole side of your helmet, that's how big they were,” Nein told ESPN. “They were tennis ball-sized stickers.”

Now, the stickers measure 1.25 inches in diameter, and a helmet can accommodate up to 47 on each side.

Read the original article on People