Bucs Provide Inside Look At Late-1990s Helmet Redesign

The Buccaneers’ rebranding in 1997 was a big change for everyone, as the team ditched their original orange and white uniforms and white Buc-o-Blues helmets and headed in a completely different direction.

Tampa Bay debuted an all-new uniform with red and pewter as the primary colors with orange and white as accent colors, which inspired the creation of “Pewter Power” and, of course, was the uniform the Buccaneers wore when they won their first Super Bowl.

During the Tony Dungy and later Jon Gruden eras, the Buccaneers wore their classic red and pewter uniforms, and those uniforms are often associated with the golden age of Tampa Bay football.

Legendary Bucks CB Ronde Barber – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR

Prior to the 2014 season, the Buccaneers once again attempted a uniform makeover, but it didn’t go so well.

You probably remember that this was the “Alarm Clock Numbers” era, which lasted from 2014 to 2019. It was supposed to be a modern look for Nike, but it ended up being more weird than good, and no matter how much anyone liked it, it was ultimately a flop.

The team then re-planned for the 2020 season, ultimately unveiling a modern take on the 1997-2013 design that many fans loved. And that look came at just the right time: Tom Brady joined the team that season and led the Buccaneers to their second Lombardi Trophy.

These are the uniforms Tampa Bay still wears today.

Buccaneers look back at helmet redesign process of the late 1990s

There are many factors that go into a rebranding, especially for an NFL team. But the Buccaneers recently Tom Helmer — Who will run? I’m crazy about helmets — Tampa Bay’s search for new helmets during its initial rebranding shows just how complicated a process it was.

As Helmer explains, the Buccaneers initially offered three helmets in white, gray and pewter, all featuring the skull and crossed swords logo (without the flag). The team also considered a black helmet, but the skull and swords logo featured a pirate hat with the letter “B” emblazoned on it.

From there, Tampa Bay began incorporating the flag into their logo, with a fluttering red flag appearing behind the skull and cross swords logo on their white, silver and black helmets. Of note, the pewter helmet did not exist at this stage of the design.

Then there was a collection of white helmets, one of which had a more developed skull-and-crossing-swords logo with a long flag behind it and a stripe down the center that contained the original Tampa Bay colors. A red facemask was also considered. Other designs at this stage had a bluish-purple color for the flag and stripes, with a black and red flame-like stripe down the center.

Former Buccaneers DT Warren Sapp and former Packers QB Brett Favre – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR

The Buccaneers then moved away from white helmets and tried a long flag logo on silver and black helmets, with orange and black stripes on the silver helmets and red and silver stripes on the black helmets.

Ultimately, the Buccaneers settled on a pewter helmet, even though the color wasn’t among the first few design ideas. It was then time to find the right logo, and after trying a silver sword and an orange shield with a red and white “TB” in the middle, they finally found their look: a pewter helmet, the classic flag logo you all know and love, but without the stripe down the middle.

When the Buccaneers updated their uniforms for the 2020 season, they introduced an improved version of this helmet, except this one features an updated version of the Buccaneers flag logo that debuted in 2014 (a smaller version that was first unveiled back then) and is a shimmery pewter color rather than the previous matte look.

Will the Buccaneers add another alternate helmet in 2025?

The timing of the Buccaneers releasing this video is more likely a coincidence than anything, as they were able to invite content creators to produce videos for social media during the offseason.

However, the NFL sent a memo to teams earlier this offseason about the possibility of a third alternate helmet in 2025. So could this video be some kind of hint or test run as Tampa Bay considers a new helmet design to debut next season? If not, it remains possible that this type of process could be underway behind the scenes, either now or in the future.

Buccaneers alternate white helmet designed by Samer Ali

Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report I wrote this earlier this season As for the possibility of the Buccaneers wearing a third helmet in 2025. Will it be a red helmet? Or a black helmet? The announcement of a new white helmet may not mean a “new” helmet, as Tampa Bay already has a retro Bucco Blues helmet, and the equipment team could create a third alternate helmet, presumably using a different decal on that helmet.

It remains to be seen whether the Buccaneers opt for a third alternate helmet. The team has not commented on the possibility, and they just played their nostalgia Creamsicle Game for the first time in more than a decade last season after the league waived the one-helmet rule.

As it stands, Tampa Bay is outfitted with the old-school look and standard pewter helmet, and they’re obviously going to wear it with every version of their regular uniform set, including the all-pewter look.

What do you think, Pewter People?

Are there any helmet designs from the 1990s during the redesign process that intrigue you? Or, if the Buccaneers were to unveil a new helmet for 2025, what would you like to see?