Buccaneers – Riddell NFL Pocket Pro Helmets

I appreciate feedback on my site and checklists. On a recent Buccaneers post, fellow collector Steve noted discrepancies in the modern Revolution pocket helmet flag size.

The two helmets on the left are from the same era and are representative of that style. In 2014, the Bucs changed the helmet color, logo and facemask. This is the middle revolution style helmet in the photo below. The next helmet on the right – the speed helmet – continued that style. The final helmet on the right is the helmet the Bucs currently wear today.

One may notice an anomoly with the middle revolution helmet. Although the flag is the same as the modern helmet, it’s noticably smaller. The actual flag was larger, as shown in the flags on the right. I suspect Riddell figured it couldn’t fit the sword hilt by the ear hole and reduced the size. Regardless, the actual helmet flag was similar in size to the flags on the speed helmet.

I also discovered the Bucs darkened in the pewter color in 2014. That color remains to this day.

So, this is a helmet error. Thanks to Steve for pointing this out! I updated the Bucs, revolution and teams websites to reflect this change.

Someday, I am going to research the 1976-96 creamsickle helmet facemask colors. Riddell has manufactured three helmets from this era: a two-bar, traditional, and speed as part of the 2024 limited edition series. They all have different colors. The two-bar is noticeably red. The traditional is orange. The speed is more of a bay orange color. And Riddell apparently manufactured a two-bar helmet with a grey facemask!

See the NFL hex colors website for more information on where I got “bay orange” from!

Several years ago, I purchased a Bucs two-bar throwback with a grey facemask. The facemask is tightly attached to the helmet, but I thought it could be a factory error. I know the two-bar facemask is not the easiest thing to customize (I have broken a few helmets trying to change the facemask).

A fellow collector – Andrew – reached out to me. He had also found a Bucs two-bar helmet with the grey facemask. And noted it seems like a factory helmet. That is enough evidence for me to conclude that Riddell at some manufactured a Bucs helmet with a grey facemask.

I can find no evidence the Bucs wore a grey facemask. I checked with the primary authority on this, the Gridiron Uniform Database. In addition, Helmet History and the Helmet Project.

The grey helmet has the RIDDell marking on the back. This marking is associated with the 36-piece set (as opposed to other two-bar helmets, which have the RIDDELL marking).

I am going to assume these are factory helmets and add them to the Bucs checklist. I speculate Riddell made the helmet with the grey marking for the 36-piece set, realized the error, and continued with the orange facemask. The following sites have been updated:

So, you don’t need to add a Bucs throwback with a grey facemask to your collection. However, it is a cool oddity.