When I played high school football, a helmet sticker had to be earned. Later, when I became a coach, I bought sheets of those stickers and handed them out to recognize players who made a real difference.
They weren’t participation trophies. You had to do something that affected the outcome of the game.
These are my national helmet sticker recipients for this week:
🏈 JEREMIAH SMITH, WR, OHIO STATE
Smith delivered the most dominant offensive performance of the weekend. He caught 12 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois. They knew where the football was going, and they still couldn’t stop him.
🏈 COLIN SIMMONS, EDGE, TEXAS
Five sacks in a 20–17 victory at Tennessee. Simmons tied the Texas single-game record and practically lived in the Volunteers’ backfield. The Longhorns needed every one of those plays to escape Knoxville with a win.
🏈 KAMARIO TAYLOR, QB, MISSISSIPPI STATE
Taylor completed 27 of 38 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns in Mississippi State’s 31–24 victory over No. 19 Missouri. When the Bulldogs needed a winning drive, Taylor delivered the go-ahead touchdown pass with less than four minutes remaining.
This young man isn’t just putting up numbers. He is taking control of football games.
🏈 JADAN BAUGH, RB, FLORIDA
Baugh carried the football 29 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns as Florida dismantled No. 4 Ole Miss, 52–28. He ran physically, punished tacklers and helped the Gators make one of the loudest statements of the weekend.
🏈 CHRIS COLE, LB, GEORGIA
Cole finished with eight tackles, a sack, two fumble recoveries and an 85-yard scoop-and-score in Georgia’s 41–13 demolition of Oklahoma. He didn’t merely play well. He changed the entire direction of the game.
🏈 KEELON RUSSELL, QB, ALABAMA
Russell completed 21 of 27 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns against South Carolina. He was poised, accurate and completely in command. The Gamecocks never found an answer for him.
🏈 MASON HEINTSCHEL, QB, PITT
Heintschel threw six touchdown passes in Pitt’s 59–0 victory over Bucknell. It was already his second six-touchdown performance of the season. I understand the level of competition, but six touchdown passes still deserve recognition.
🏈 JEFFREY OVERTON JR., RB, VIRGINIA TECH
Overton rushed for 209 yards in Virginia Tech’s 21–14 victory over Boston College. His 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter provided the deciding score. That is the definition of an impact performance.
🏈 MYLES BRADLEY, EDGE, BOWLING GREEN
Bradley created eight pressures, recorded six combined sacks and quarterback hits, and forced two fumbles. He spent the afternoon wrecking the opposing offense.
🏈 HANK BROWN, QB, IOWA
Brown’s final statistics weren’t overwhelming, but helmet stickers aren’t awarded from a spreadsheet alone. He delivered the walk-off touchdown pass that gave Iowa a 20–19 victory over Michigan in the Big House.
When the entire game came down to one throw, Brown made it.
Those are this week’s national helmet sticker recipients. They produced big numbers, delivered game-changing plays or answered when everything was on the line.
That is how you earn a sticker.
