NEW LONDON-, N.H. - With the launch of the Colby-Sawyer Men's Lacrosse program in 2025 and its inaugural season set for spring 2026, the Chargers are embracing more than just a fresh start on the field. One of the most striking and symbolic elements of their new identity will be the team's headgear—a timeless design steeped in history, tradition, and personal connection.

When the Chargers take the field this spring, their uniforms will feature the instantly recognizable winged helmet design. Known widely as the "Michigan helmet," this bold look was chosen by Head Coach Pape Lukk, who saw both programmatic and deeply personal reasons to honor the legacy behind it.

A Design with Deep Roots:

Through now synonymous with the University of Michigan, the helmet's origins trace back to Princeton University in the early 1930s. At the time, many teams wore dark jerseys paired with brown leather helmets, making it difficult for quarterbacks to spot receivers downfield.

Enter Coach Fritz Crisler, who commissioned the MacGregor-Goldsmith Company to dye a leather helmet in Princeton's black and orange. The design featured vertical stripes symbolizing a tiger's markings—and broad "wings" that represented a tiger's ears pulled back, ready to strike.

 
(Coach Chrisler - L & Coach Nelson - R)

When Crisler took over at Michigan in 1938, he carried the design with him, this time reimagined in the Wolverines' maize and blue. Among his players was halfback Dave M. Nelson, who later brought variations of the winged helmet to Hillsdale College, Harvard, and the University of Maine before eventually settling at the University of Delaware in 1951.
 

A Family Connection:

It was in Delaware that the helmet first intersected with Coach Lukk's own family history. Both of his grandfathers, Pape Lukk and Mark Hurm, played together on Coach Nelson's Blue Hens squads of the late 1950s, even winning the Lambert Cup in 1959.


(Grandfather Hurm (#51) blocking for Grandfather Lukk (#36), circa 1959)

Decades later, that connection deepened. During the 2021–22 Lacrosse season, Coach Lukk served as a volunteer assistant for the Delaware Blue Hens. His contributions were part of a historic season that saw the Blue Hens capture both the Colonial Athletic Association's regular season and tournament championships. The team capped its run with a landmark NCAA Tournament victory over second-seeded Georgetown, culminating in a NCAA quarterfinal appearance —all while proudly wearing the classic winged helmet.

A Tradition Continues:

Now, that same storied design finds a new home in New London, New Hampshire. By adopting the winged helmet, Colby-Sawyer Lacrosse is not only honoring a tradition that stretches back nearly a century but also celebrating the personal and family ties that connect Coach Lukk to the history of the game.

As the Chargers prepare for their first season, they will do so wearing a symbol that represents more than just a helmet—it embodies legacy, identity, and the courage to build something new while rooted in tradition.