Mississippi State honors Mike Leach with special helmets for bowl game originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl marks Mississippi State’s first game since the death of Mike Leach, and the head coach will be honored throughout the contest.
The Bulldogs will sport helmets featuring a pirate flag and Leach’s initials. Leach’s love for pirates earned him “The Pirate” nickname and he titled his 2011 autobiography “Swing Your Sword.”
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Mississippi State’s bowl game against Illinois will also take place at a fitting venue: Raymond James Stadium. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ home venue includes a 100-foot-long pirate ship, and another tribute to Leach was placed on deck.
The field itself features another tribute to Leach, as his name was painted on the playing surface at the 25-yard line.
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Tributes to Leach have taken place across college football following his death on Dec. 12. Texas Tech, where Leach coached from 2000 to 2009, lined up in the Air Raid formation to begin the Texas Bowl against Ole Miss on Dec. 28. TCU, which is coached by former Leach assistant Sonny Dykes, placed stickers of a pirate flag on their helmets for their Fiesta Bowl matchup against Michigan on Saturday.
The remembrance of Leach will continue during an emotional day for Mississippi State.
