Tradition, Individuality Merging For New-Look Eagles
September 03, 2020 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Uniforms are sacred, but individuality can create a variety of looks.
The Boston College-Notre Dame rivalry was one of the most intense matchups in college football at the turn of the century. The Fighting Irish's historic dominance was over, and the Eagles held an upper hand over their Catholic school brethren. Notre Dame still ranked as one of the nation's top programs, but the upstart BC teams always found a way to strike an Achilles heel in South Bend.Â
In 2002, that Holy War found a new level when the undefeated Irish played their annual rival at home. The hosts warmed up in their traditional blue uniforms before retreating to the locker room for a final pregame huddle. They found green jerseys hanging in each stall, a change that turned the game into a significant event. It instantly etched into the rivalry's history before BC put the jerseys away forever with another victory.
The game pointed out the emotion cemented by uniform imagery. A visual representation or picture evoked constant thought. The names, faces, voices, and highlights lived on, but the uniform, the instant color, meant so much more.
This past week, uniform emotion came home to Boston College in a different light with the release of the Eagles' new uniform scheme. As expected, the biggest reveal triggered the most intense feelings when the team showed the world, for the first time, a new red bandanna uniform in memory of Welles Remy Crowther.
"The red bandanna is more than the uniform," head coach Jeff Hafley said. "When I first got here and heard about the game and all that went into it, you're talking about a totally inspiring story. You look at the jersey and you don't see just the uniform. It's hard not to get fired up. I think that tradition is awesome."
The annual Red Bandanna Game stems from a 10-minute documentary produced by Drew Gallagher, a BC alumnus, and tells the story of the September 11, 2001 attacks through Crowther, a former Eagle on the lacrosse field. An equities trader, he longed to trade in the business world in order to take up a career in firefighting. On 9/11, he was in the World Trade Center and ultimately gave his life saving a dozen people.
ÂGallery: (8-28-2020) Red Bandanna Jerseys (2020 Alternate)
The story struck a chord with all who watched it, and it sparked a movement at the University of Central Florida, where BC was set to play on September 10, 2011. Fans organically pushed for fans to wear bandannas in the stands, which in turn inspired Boston College to springboard a cause. Three years after that game, Alumni Stadium introduced its first-ever game honoring the story and memory by wearing bandanna-accented helmets, gloves and cleats against Southern California, then ranked No. 9 in the nation.
The game's instant success found a nationally-televised audience, and it exploded into a college football phenomenon as BC donned the subtle details in succeeding years. This year, though, the university went in a completely different direction and unveiled a new, white uniform with full-fledged bandanna numbers and trim. The video reveal likewise produced a smash hit, and social media exploded with enthusiasm for BC's new look.
"I'm glad that our uniform swag has gone in this direction," linebacker Max Richardson said. "It's very cool to see the development. We have the new red bandanna themed numbers, and that's all part of (BC's mission) 'men and women for others.' The uniforms are cool, and I'm really appreciative of them."
"Those new jerseys, they look good," running back Travis Levy agreed. "I love the red bandanna jersey, especially during this time. We can put on for Welles Crowther and what he stood for, and we can show the universe that we are united in supporting his (story)."
This particular chapter is writing the story of a recent-yet-sacred tradition at a time when uniform styles are increasingly varied. It's the first true "alternate" jersey for BC's football program since 2012, when the Eagles wore gold against Clemson and donned American-themed, "Wounded Warrior" uniforms to honor troops against Maryland. In 2016, the team introduced sleeve panels to the shirts and horizontal stripes on the pants, a dramatic change from the solid, traditional colors of the previous eras.
ÂGallery: (8-26-2020) 1984 Throwback Road Jerseys
It's all part of merging individuality with tradition. BC retained its classic look by making the 1980s throwback jersey part of the permanent rotation, and the older logo made famous by the Doug Flutie and Tom Coughlin eras returned to circulation in 2018. It did so while enabling a newer mentality with the standard jerseys, and it's part of a larger package designed to install confidence both through the team's look on the field and how it is perceived on social media.
"Our social media team has done an incredible job with posting those (reveal) videos," Hafley said. "The players got fired up at what they did. Those white throwback jerseys are awesome. Matt Ryan shot me a text saying that he loved them, so it's more than our guys who are excited. Ex-players are noticing, and we appreciate that they are taking notice.
"I want our players to feel good because that's so important to have that confidence," he continued. "If that means they have to change it up, then I'm all for it. I want our players to have a different variety. That's important to them and that's important to me. We'll keep trying to change it up the best that we can."
In 2002, that Holy War found a new level when the undefeated Irish played their annual rival at home. The hosts warmed up in their traditional blue uniforms before retreating to the locker room for a final pregame huddle. They found green jerseys hanging in each stall, a change that turned the game into a significant event. It instantly etched into the rivalry's history before BC put the jerseys away forever with another victory.
The game pointed out the emotion cemented by uniform imagery. A visual representation or picture evoked constant thought. The names, faces, voices, and highlights lived on, but the uniform, the instant color, meant so much more.
This past week, uniform emotion came home to Boston College in a different light with the release of the Eagles' new uniform scheme. As expected, the biggest reveal triggered the most intense feelings when the team showed the world, for the first time, a new red bandanna uniform in memory of Welles Remy Crowther.
"The red bandanna is more than the uniform," head coach Jeff Hafley said. "When I first got here and heard about the game and all that went into it, you're talking about a totally inspiring story. You look at the jersey and you don't see just the uniform. It's hard not to get fired up. I think that tradition is awesome."
The annual Red Bandanna Game stems from a 10-minute documentary produced by Drew Gallagher, a BC alumnus, and tells the story of the September 11, 2001 attacks through Crowther, a former Eagle on the lacrosse field. An equities trader, he longed to trade in the business world in order to take up a career in firefighting. On 9/11, he was in the World Trade Center and ultimately gave his life saving a dozen people.
Â
The story struck a chord with all who watched it, and it sparked a movement at the University of Central Florida, where BC was set to play on September 10, 2011. Fans organically pushed for fans to wear bandannas in the stands, which in turn inspired Boston College to springboard a cause. Three years after that game, Alumni Stadium introduced its first-ever game honoring the story and memory by wearing bandanna-accented helmets, gloves and cleats against Southern California, then ranked No. 9 in the nation.
The game's instant success found a nationally-televised audience, and it exploded into a college football phenomenon as BC donned the subtle details in succeeding years. This year, though, the university went in a completely different direction and unveiled a new, white uniform with full-fledged bandanna numbers and trim. The video reveal likewise produced a smash hit, and social media exploded with enthusiasm for BC's new look.
"I'm glad that our uniform swag has gone in this direction," linebacker Max Richardson said. "It's very cool to see the development. We have the new red bandanna themed numbers, and that's all part of (BC's mission) 'men and women for others.' The uniforms are cool, and I'm really appreciative of them."
"Those new jerseys, they look good," running back Travis Levy agreed. "I love the red bandanna jersey, especially during this time. We can put on for Welles Crowther and what he stood for, and we can show the universe that we are united in supporting his (story)."
This particular chapter is writing the story of a recent-yet-sacred tradition at a time when uniform styles are increasingly varied. It's the first true "alternate" jersey for BC's football program since 2012, when the Eagles wore gold against Clemson and donned American-themed, "Wounded Warrior" uniforms to honor troops against Maryland. In 2016, the team introduced sleeve panels to the shirts and horizontal stripes on the pants, a dramatic change from the solid, traditional colors of the previous eras.
Â
It's all part of merging individuality with tradition. BC retained its classic look by making the 1980s throwback jersey part of the permanent rotation, and the older logo made famous by the Doug Flutie and Tom Coughlin eras returned to circulation in 2018. It did so while enabling a newer mentality with the standard jerseys, and it's part of a larger package designed to install confidence both through the team's look on the field and how it is perceived on social media.
"Our social media team has done an incredible job with posting those (reveal) videos," Hafley said. "The players got fired up at what they did. Those white throwback jerseys are awesome. Matt Ryan shot me a text saying that he loved them, so it's more than our guys who are excited. Ex-players are noticing, and we appreciate that they are taking notice.
"I want our players to feel good because that's so important to have that confidence," he continued. "If that means they have to change it up, then I'm all for it. I want our players to have a different variety. That's important to them and that's important to me. We'll keep trying to change it up the best that we can."
Players Mentioned
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