Duffy Daugherty Era Michigan State Football Jerseys

Duffy Daugherty started his career at Michigan State experimenting with the white helmets. He can be credited for adding “Michigan State” to the front of the football jerseys in 1964 and adding the Spartan helmet logo to the helmet in 1965.

Duffy Daugherty's final record at Michigan State was 109 - 69 - 5 with two National Championships in 1965 and 1966, a victory at 1956's Rose Bowl and an appearance in 1966's Rose Bowl.

1954 Michigan State Football Jerseys

Helmet Worn in Games vs Wisconsin and Indiana

White helmets with a green one-inch center stripe

Authentic reproduction of the 1954 Michigan State football helmet from Helmet Hut

The 1954 opener was a loss at Iowa as the Spartans came out in their usual Kelly green helmets.

For the next two games, against Wisconsin on October 2 and Indiana on October 9, Duffy Daugherty put the team in white helmets with a green one-inch center stripe. The helmets didn’t help Duffy Daugherty against Wisconsin, but seemed to aide the Spartans in beating Indiana.

Duffy Daugherty returned to the green helmets when they travelled to Notre Dame. Michigan State football hasn't played in a white helmet since the victory over Indiana on October 9, 1964.

• White helmet
• One-inch green center stripe

1954 - 1955 Michigan State Football Jerseys

Besides Duffy Daugherty’s experiment with the helmet for two games, the style of the 1954 - 1955 Michigan State football jerseys and helmets was identical to the “Biggie” Munn era.

Helmet

• Green helmet
• One-inch white center stripe

Jersey

• Solid color player numerals on front
• Three stripes on the sleeves, with the middle being the thickest
• Solid color player numerals on back

Pants

• White pants
• Single thin green stripe down the leg
• Same pants used for home and away games

1956 - 1964 Michigan State Football Jerseys

Helmet

Duffy Daugherty added side numerals to Spartan helmets for the 1956 regular season. The green helmet with white one-inch center stripe now had three-inch thin, rounded charger-style player identification numerals placed on each side of the shells for a classic appearance.

Michigan State was encouraged by the Big Ten league office to wear the numerals to enhance the viewing pleasure for the growing national television audiences who followed Big Ten football. Duffy Daugherty retained the side helmet numerals up through the 1964 season.

• Green helmet
• One-inch white center stripe
• White player numerals on both sides

Jersey and Pants

• Based on very limited photographs between 1956 - 1963, I can only speculate that Duffy Daugherty kept the same style of jerseys and pants that were worn from 1947 - 1955

1964 Jersey

• "MICHIGAN STATE" appears above the player numerals for the first time - the font has changed several times over the last 62 years, but can be found on the present team’s uniforms

1965 - 1966 Michigan State Football Jerseys

Helmet

In 1965, a campus-wide contest was held to determine the design of the original Spartan helmet logo to be used on a Michigan State helmet.

• Green helmet
• One-inch white center stripe
• Original Spartan helmet logo on both sides
• Gray facemask
• Player numerals on back

Jersey

• "MICHIGAN STATE" appears above the player numerals
• Solid color player numerals on front
• Solid color player numerals on back

Pants

• White pants
• Single thin green stripe down the leg
• Same pants used for home and away games

1967 - 1972 Michigan State Football Jerseys

The style of the 1967 - 1972 Michigan State football jerseys, helmets and pants are the same as 1965 - 1966 with the following exceptions:

Helmet

The 1966 helmet (left) and the 1967 helmet (right)

• The original Spartan helmet logo on each side of the helmet which was worn for the 1965 and 1966 National Championship teams was changed to the black trimmed Spartan helmet logo

1969 Helmet

For the 1969 season, Duffy Daugherty removed the black trimmed Spartan helmet logo from the helmets. In its place, the team showcased football shaped logos designed by the NCAA that commemorated the 100 year anniversary of college football. Most college teams joined in the celebration by wearing similar style logos on either their helmets or jerseys.

• NCAA 100 Year Anniversary football shaped logo on both sides
• Helmet stickers / pride stickers on back - it is unknown how many seasons Duffy Daugherty did this