When Army and Navy football face off on Saturday, the rivalry will be renewed, and this time, when Navy takes the field, they'll honor a former Patriot too. With a 27 and a 12 on their helmets, the Midshipmen will honor late Patriot Joe Bellino, as well as Cowboy legend Roger Staubach.
Bellino passed away in March of this year, but the Massachusetts native will not soon be forgotten. The updated jerseys for the rivalry game is to honor the iconic 60s era of Navy football, when both Bellino and Staubach both won the Heisman, in 1961 and 1963 respectively. The helmets themselves are modeled after the Heisman trophy itself, according to a release from the team.
Uniforms aside, the game ball will also represent a piece of this Navy football history. Navy's game ball is a custom design with the signatures of both Bellino and Staubach.
After Bellino won the Heisman, he was drafted by the then Boston Patriots. He played three seasons for the Patriots, and after his football career ended, he went on to serve a total of 28 years in the Navy and Naval Reserves. Bellino retired as a captain.
Navy vs. Army kicks off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, so be sure to look closely for the nods to Bellino and Naval football history.
