S2S on Colorado helmets means the shoulder-to-shoulder program developed by Lance Carl. The program counsels Colorado football freshmen.
It replaces the lettering ‘Buffs’ on the forehead over the facemask. They had ‘BLM‘ lettering in 2020 to support Black Lives Matter.
From 1969 to 1981, when Colorado Buffaloes contested in the Big Eight (1948-1995), their gold helmet consisted of the bold and black font of CU on the sides. A white block squeezed between two black lines passed through the center of the equipment.
In 1981, they underwent a massive change by adding a blue Ralphine logo. But, it only lasted till 1984, and in 1985, we saw the Buffs reverting back to black.
Today’s modern look with the Ralphine, the CU lettering, and bold facemask was introduced in 2005.
Similarly, they paid homage to the 1930s in 2009 against the Wyoming Cowboys by sporting a silver helmet with black horns.
The beloved black helmet entered the conversation in 2012. The gold lettering and other gold elements were first used in the 2014 campaign.
Likewise, in 2019, the football program honored the 1940s logo by adding a golden charging bison emblem. It was used for the weeks 8 and 12 in the 2019 campaign.
S2S Colorado Football Meaning
S2S football helmet Colorado stands for the shoulder-to-shoulder mentoring program. Lance Carl created this program in 2021.
He is the Director of Player Development and Alumni Relations for the football program at Colorado University.
The shoulder-to-shoulder (S2S) mentoring program brings the true freshmen and redshirt freshmen sportspersons under one roof and involves them with local and national ex-college football athletes.
The primary agenda of the program seeks to provide more to the athletes outside the football field. Through motivation, guidance, appropriate direction, counseling, and availability of opportunity, they help the younger collegiate athletes indulge deeply with the roots of CU football and establish a more profound and meaningful connection.
The S2S should not be confused with another S2S called Startups2Students hosted by Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative and Career Services.
Lance is a University of Colorado alma mater who played college football in the mid-1980s. In November 2013, he was acquired by the university as an associate athletic director for business development and the sports supervisor for the football program.
He was promoted to the Assistant Director of Football in 2019 before getting roped for the current position in 2021.
Colorado Football New Helmets
Colorado Football new helmets are glossy black headgear with gold face masks, a golden CU logo, and a golden Ralphine logo outline.
Everyone on social media loves the new head armour. It has received widespread critical acclaim from reporters, sports writers, and analysts.
The latest hard hat debuted on the 8th of October when they travelled to the Sun Devil Stadium to face Arizona State Sun Devils. The brand-new equipment seemed lucky for the Buffs as they cruised past the Sun Devils in the final quarter to win the contest 27-24.
The visiting team wore a white jersey, black pants, and white cleats with the new flashy black helmets.
The new headgear significantly differs from their regular black hard hat, with bold black facemasks, white CU letterings, and a white outline on the Ralphine emblem.
Likewise, their white helmet is also insanely clean and smooth. The black Ralphine logo with gold outline and the golden CU lettering make it a standout among other equipment.
Letters On Colorado Uniforms
L and D on Colorado uniforms represent Leaders and Dawgs respectively. They are the designations given to players in the Buffaloes roster.
The new head coach, Deion Sanders, appeared in Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff program on the 9th of September and revealed the mystery behind the letters.
Colorado Football uniforms 2023 have shifted from the conventional ‘C’ lettering, which usually resembles the captains in the football team. Instead, collegiate athletes must earn ‘L’ and ‘D.’ This is the team under Coach Prime with an unconventional method and is without captains for the 2023 campaign.
The ‘L’ is awarded to players who have excellent leadership skills and are ready to bring the team together in any given circumstance.
Meanwhile, ‘D’ represents the sportsperson who is a close associate in the team with a bit of leadership quality. In Sanders’s words, “a guy that’s a Dawg may not always be a leader, but he is a leader and a Dawg.”
The Buffs are 4-4 after losing to the UCLA Bruins by 28-16. They are at the 8th place in the Pac-12 standings. They will face the Oregon State Beavers on the 5th of November.
Why Do College Football Helmets Have Stickers?
College Football helmet stickers represent the outstanding performance of a player. Thirteen FBS teams use the helmet decal reward system.
The coaching staff and team captains decide the recipient of the stickers based on their latest game’s exemplary performance. Great catches, touchdowns, steller play, excellent blocks, tackles, great presence of mind, outstanding game awareness, heroic display, etc., are considered while awarding the sticker.
Miami Redhawks assistant coach Jim Young started the college football helmet pride stickers system in 1965.
The concept behind this reward system originated from his days as a fighter pilot during World War II. As a fighter pilot, he put enemy flags on his aircraft after taking down the enemy plane.
When he arrived at Miami University (Ohio), he implemented the helmet sticker system that rewarded extraordinary display on the field. The Redhawks were awarded a tomahawk decal for great play.
It is often argued that Gene Stauber, assistant coach of Illinois Fighting Illini (1960-70), handed stickers throughout his tenure.
Likewise, an even earlier sighting was seen in 1961 in the Rutgers Scarlet Knights headgear. Dewey King, the defensive backs coach, gave a star for an interception.
However, the trend of helmet decals took motion when Woody Hayes, head coach of Ohio State Buckeyes (1951-78), started handing out Buckeye Leaves in 1967.
Helmet Stickers
Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh brought back the sticker tradition in 2015. A team-based model has been in use since 2021.
The helmet decals denoted the total Wolverines’ victory. Likewise, the player’s hometown area code sticker, Title sticker, and equality sticker are also handed out to athletes.
Similarly, below are some of the FBS teams and their sticker design:
- Florida State Seminoles: Tomahawk
- Stanford Cardinals: Axe blade
- Clemson Tigers: Pawprints
- Eastern Michigan Eagles: Feather
- Lousiana Ragin Cajuns: Fleur de lis
- Pittsburgh Panthers: Panther head
- UNLV Rebels: Spade
- North Carolina Tar Heels: Tar Heel
- Northern Illinois Huskies: Bone/ Huskie emblem
- Army Black Knights: Ranger tabs
- UTEP Miners: Pickaxe