NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Yale's illustrious, 150-year football history will be on full display when the Bulldogs don special commemorative uniforms for their game against Dartmouth on Oct. 8 at Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field.
 
The uniforms are modeled after those worn by Walter Camp, an 1880 Yale graduate who is considered the father of American football. Camp, a two-time football captain and later head coach of the Bulldogs, was responsible for reshaping the doctrines of English rugby into American football. His teams as a player boasted a 30-1-6 record, and as a head coach he held an impressive 67-2 record.
 
From 1879 to 1925, Camp was a member of every football rule convention and rules committee. He is credited with introducing the concepts of the play from scrimmage, the use of a quarterback, set plays, point values and first downs.
 
"What Washington was to his country, Camp was to American football – the friend, the founder and the father," said John Heisman, the legendary football player and coach who the Heisman Trophy is named for.
 
For the commemorative uniforms, the details are meticulous. The jerseys are cream colored, the same as Yale's famed varsity sweater, and Walter Camp's rules of football from his famous 1893 book are written in the jersey numbers. The helmets and pants are traditional Yale Blue. The helmets also feature a cream Y with Heisman Trophies on each side, honoring Yale's two Heisman winners – Larry Kelley '37 and Clint Frank '38. The two classic Yale stripes on the helmet list the last name of every Yale football captain since 1872.
 
"The history of the Yale Football program is captured like never before in these commemorative uniforms," said Victoria M. "Vicky" Chun, Yale's Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics. "With them, we honor those who came before Team 149 and are able to showcase its storied history."
 
Yale played its first football game on Nov. 16, 1872, a 3-0 victory over Columbia in a game that featured 20 players on each side. In their renowned history, the Bulldogs have amassed 922 victories, the seventh most of any college or university in the nation and the most by any Ivy League or FCS school. In addition, Yale has captured 16 Ivy League championships.
 
"It is a great honor for Team 149, myself and the rest of our coaching staff to be a part of this unique celebration of 150 years of Yale Football," said Tony Reno, the Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "These uniforms embody the rich tradition and history of our program, and we are excited to be a part of this moment in history."
 
Kickoff for the Oct. 8 game vs. Dartmouth is slated for noon.