The modern era of University of Iowa football helmets began with a yellow helmet, gray facemask, black vertical stripe, and black numbers on the side. This design was used until 1964 and was brought back once in 2010 in a game against Ball State to commemorate the 1959 Rose Bowl champion Hawkeye team. The first major change occurred in 1965 when the numbers on the side were replaced with a Black “I” with a white circle and thin black outline in place of the logo. However, this logo did not last long. For 1966 the “I” was dropped and the helmet was just solid yellow with black and white vertical stripes.
A logo returned in 1971 with a large soaring eagle on a black background. The eagle had a lot of shading. Since the background was now black, the vertical stripes changed to a single yellow vertical stripe. This was the second time a logo had only lasted one year. In 1972, the logo was changed and all shading was removed. The eagle was solid yellow in color and its talons were similar but slightly altered and thicker. In 1974, Iowa decided to return to the solid design and reverted to the solid yellow hull; this time it just has a black stripe without the white stripe outline like they did in the late sixties.
The year 1977 marked another change. As was popular at the time, the italicized Iowa name was applied to the yellow hull with black stripe. The Iowa decal was black but outlined in black. As different colored masks became available, the Iowa uniform designers decided that a black mask would fit perfectly with this design. The overall design looked pretty sharp as black and yellow are some of the easiest colors to read and see from afar (the billboard industry knows this and uses this scheme often when trying to get your attention) .
The current Iowa football helmet has been in use for over 30 years, believe it or not. The black helmet with a yellow stripe and graphic Hawkeye head came into use in 1979. This is one of the most memorable logos in college sports and immediately commands attention with the beak, eye, head, and part of the head. which extends from the eye towards the body. . High schools and other teams have used this popular logo. There have been a few occasions since 1979 when Hawkeye’s football team used a different helmet. At least twice they have worn an all-black helmet to mourn the victims of the campus shooting or the parents of a player. They also wore a gold helmet once in 2004 to celebrate Kinnick Stadium’s 50th anniversary.
One last interesting element of the Iowa Hawkeyes football helmet has been the “ANF” lettering which was placed on a small decal on the back of the helmet. This was used in the mid to late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Many people wonder what those letters mean when they look at historical photos of Hawkeye’s gear. “America Needs Farmers” is what ANF stood for and was meant to support struggling farmers. Even in 2011, they continue to have special America Needs Farmers days where farmers are invited and honored. It makes sense when you think of Iowa as the corn and soybean growing capital of the United States.