Illinois football is poised for a big 2025 season, as the expectations are extremely high.
The Illini are coming off a 10-win campaign in which we went to the Citrus Bowl and took down a rising SEC program in South Carolina. In the midst of the great season came great uniforms.
Athletic director Josh Whitman listened to fans as he implemented many different uniforms last season. Some of the designs were the classic Illinois script across the helmet. We also had other helmets from different decades.
One of the best uniform designs came when Illinois wore throwback uniforms to the early 1900s, and our helmets were painted to mock a leather helmet from that same time period. With Illinois getting such rave reviews on the new throwback look, an NFL team is now following suit.
A few days ago, it was announced that the Green Bay Packers would be doing the same thing Illinois did this season. They will also wear the painted helmets as if they were made of leather. It is fascinating that an NFL team is following a college program, but Bret Bielema knew this was coming, as he had something to say about the social media post.
They interviewed @JakeRosch (best EQ guy in the country) last year and took a few ideas from the #famILLy
— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) July 24, 2025
Always good to be a trend setter in the #NFL ✅🤷♂️✅ https://t.co/mY9mpbFezn
“They interviewed @JakeRosch (best EQ guy in the country) last year and took a few ideas from the #famILLy. Always good to be a trend setter in the #NFL.”
This was a miss by the Chicago Bears not to be the NFL team to do what Illinois football did with the uniforms
The Illinois uniforms that featured the leather helmet last year were a throwback to the Red Grange days. He played in the 1920s and wore leather helmets when he was an All-American and the best player in college football for the Illini.
After his time at Illinois, Grange went to the NFL and was a legend. He was a multi-time All-Pro and was a major reason the NFL got off the ground. He traveled around the country playing for the Chicago Bears.
The Bears were one of the founding organizations of the NFL. This was a chance for Chicago to look at the Illini and do the same. Instead, the Packers, the Bears’ biggest rival, took the idea and ran with it.
This was a disappointing miss by Chicago. They had a chance to do something special, but nothing ever came of it. Honestly, it isn’t too surprising given the Bears’ higher-ups. It’s just another negative mark on a franchise that continues to disappoint.