ASU To Wear ‘PT-42’ Uni’s To Honor Pat Tillman And The U.S. Military, And They’ll Make You Proud To Be American

You guys, in the race to be No. 1 in the custom uniform game, adidas and the Arizona State Sun Devils may have just leapfrogged everyone else and released the coolest concept seen in a long, long time.

Pat Tillman, a former Sun Devils football player who gave up his spot in the NFL to defend his country, is being honored by his alma mater for tonight’s game against the Oregon Ducks—and we’re the first place you can check them out.

Known as the PT-42 Primeknits, adidas and ASU athletics collaborated on the design with Marie Tillman and the Pat Tillman Foundation to honor both Tillman and the entire U.S. Military as part of their week-long ‘Salute to Service.’

Inspired by Pat Tillman, the PT-42 uniform was designed to replicate the uniforms that the former Sun Devil and his ’96 team wore for their 1997 Rose Bowl appearance, while also paying homage to his military service as a U.S. Army Ranger.

Recreating the old school font of the “Arizona State” moniker on the chest, adding the PT-42 badge on the collar, and putting the period-specific Sparky logos and former look on the helmet, adidas designers worked closely to deliver the perfect blend of a retro look with a tribute to the military and Tillman.

After unveiling the uniforms to the team late last night, here’s what Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham had to say, per adidas:

“We are incredibly humbled and honored to have to opportunity to partner with Marie Tillman, the Tillman Foundation, and adidas to create these uniforms that pay homage to Pat and the service of all of our active and retired military members.

We preach the value of passion and character to our players and no one embodies those qualities more than Pat Tillman. I’m proud as a Sun Devil football coach but I’m also proud as an American that we can suit up and pay tribute to the hero that was Pat.”

Going above and beyond in their tribute to Tillman, adidas and ASU were able to get special permission for Tillman’s name to be on back of the jerseys for every Sun Devils player, giving them a unique experience that is unlike any other in college football.

With top-of-the-line technology, a specially designed TECHFIT baselayer that includes a photo of Tillman leading the players onto the field and a quote from Tillman on the back of that baselayer that reads, “Passion makes life interesting, ignites our soul, fuels our love, carries our friendships, stimulates our intellect and pushes our limits,” the Sun Devils and adidas just upped the ante in customized uniforms—and it’s all on honor of the U.S. of A!

Nick Dimengo avatar
Nick's a Sr. Editor for BroBible, mainly relying on his Sports Encyclopedia-like mind to write about things. He's also the co-host of the BroBible podcast "We Run This," and can be seen sweating his ass off while frequently running 10+ miles around Seattle.