Fresno State Bulldogs Football: Ready for Combat with New Nike Uniforms

The Fresno State football team unveiled their new uniforms with a fashion show today at Josephine Theater, on the Fresno State campus. 

Central Valley Today’s Alex Delgado hosted the event and introduced a few of the players to model the new digs.

Among the players showing off the new Nike Pro Combat Elite uniforms were quarterback Derek Carr, running back Robbie Rouse, linebacker Kyle Knox, and defensive tackle Logan Harrell.

The players actually had to practice for the unveiling.

“They asked us to rehearse yesterday,” said Harrell. “I was like, we’re just going to be standing up there; there’s really nothing to rehearse.”

The way he was posing, flexing his arms, and flipping his long hair, Harrell looked as though he had either rehearsed or done this before.

The next-generation battle gear will be tighter, sleeker, and lighter than previous uniforms.

For the first time in Fresno State history, the name “Bulldogs” will be on the front of the home jersey above the players number, which is smaller than in years past.

On the away white jersey, “Fresno State” will be on the front.

Fresno State will be wearing red pants with a blue and white stripe and a red jersey at all home games. 

On the road, they will don white pants with a red and blue stripe and a white jersey.

The new pants also have the pads built into them.

Also, for the first time in years, the jerseys will have the names of the players on the back. Fans have been asking for this for quite sometime and finally get their wish.

Players have also wanted their names on the jerseys.

“Everybody loves having their names on their uniforms for people to see on TV,” said Harrell. “Everybody wants to get their name out there.”

Not only are the uniforms new, but the helmets got a make over as well.

Still visible is the Bulldog logo and the signature ”V” on the back, but now the helmet (pictured below) includes a  blue stripe outlined in white. This stripe is wide in the back and gets narrower as it comes to a point in the front of the helmet, in a fashion similar to that of the Denver Broncos.

Rouse and company were left in the dark about the uniforms, as well.

When asked when he got his first look, Rouse responded, “Today.” 

He then explained: “We had to meet in the back equipment room, and they had them laid out for us. Once I saw them I was like, 'Oh my gosh!'”

Even head coach Pat Hill had to wait until today, like the rest of us, to get his first look. 

"I really wanted that material," said Hill. "That was the new uniform that Nike put out in the bowl games last year. TCU and Boise wore those uniforms. Florida and the top-notch Nike schools wore those uniforms, and I just wanted to have a chance to put our kids in them within our budget.”

Let’s also put to rest the talk of an all-black uniform for the Boise State game.

It’s not happening.

“We don’t have the budget for that, ” said Hill. “I would love to have that and the different combinations like other schools, but we just can’t do that from a financial stand point.”

Today was a light and fun day for the players and the media, but the real fun begins September 3rd in San Francisco against the Cal Bears.

The quotes from this article were taken from interviews by Gean May at the Josephine Theater in Fresno, Calif., on 8/12/2011