The Old Leather Helmet
College Football’s Newest Tradition
Each year, the best in college football open the season in Atlanta. At stake? The Aflac Kickoff Game’s coveted Old Leather Helmet Trophy. An icon of toughness and courage, it represents the origins of college football rivalries, and is worn only by the winner of the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Regular season “trophy games” are a tradition in college football: From Paul Bunyan’s Axe, to the Golden Hat, to the Victory Bell and the Seminole War Canoe, college football is filled with emblems of big-game rivalries.
In 2008, the Aflac Kickoff Game added The Old Leather Helmet to the mix, starting its own tradition. The difference is … playing for The Old Leather Helmet is by invitation only.
As the tradition of The Old Leather Helmet has grown, it has come to include winners of the Aflac Kickoff Game wearing the highly coveted trophy. After the game, coaches and players from the winning team take turns wearing The Old Leather Helmet on the field following the trophy presentation.
The battle for The Old Leather Helmet has served as a showcase for the brightest stars in college football since 2008, with a list of alumni that includes 97 NFL first-round draft picks, 11 National Coaches of the Year and 42 players who have earned National Player of the Year awards.
Once again, college football’s elite programs have come to Atlanta to stake their claim to The Old Leather Helmet when two of college football’s biggest brands ascend upon Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
This year's Aflac Kickoff Games will feature two ACC vs. SEC showdowns and the best neutral-site matchups of Week One that includes three teams who finished last season in the top-20 of the final CFP rankings. Syracuse vs. No. 18 Tennessee will kick off at noon ET on Saturday, Aug. 30, followed by Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 South Carolina at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 31.
First Round Draft Picks
Since its inception in 2008, 94 alumni of the Aflac Kickoff Game have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, including six in the 2024 draft.
2009: Andre Smith (Alabama) – Cincinnati Bengals (6th)
2010: Rolando McClain (Alabama) – Oakland Raiders (8th), C.J. Spiller (Clemson) – Buffalo Bills (9th), Kareem Jackson (Alabama) – Houston Texans (20th)
2011: Marcell Dareus (Alabama) – Buffalo Bills (3rd), Patrick Peterson (LSU) – Arizona Cardinals (5th), Julio Jones (Alabama) – Atlanta Falcons (6th), James Carpenter (Alabama) – Seattle Seahawks (25th), Mark Ingram (Alabama) – New Orleans Saints (28th)
2012: Trent Richardson (Alabama) – Cleveland Browns (3rd), Morris Claiborne (LSU) – Dallas Cowboys (6th), Mark Barron (Alabama) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7th), Michael Brockers (LSU) – St. Louis Rams (14th), Quinton Coples (UNC) – New York Jets (16th), Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama) – Cincinnati Bengals (17th), Doug Martin (Boise State) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Shea McClellin (Boise State) – Chicago Bears (19th), Dont’a Hightower (Alabama) – New England Patriots (25th), David Wilson (Virginia Tech) – New York Giants (32nd)
2013: Barkevious Mingo (LSU) – Cleveland Browns (6th), Jonathan Cooper (North Carolina) – Arizona Cardinals (7th), Chance Warmack (Alabama) – Tennessee Titans (10th), Eric Reid (LSU) – San Francisco 49ers (18th), DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson) – Houston Texans (27th), Sylvester Williams (North Carolina) – Denver Broncos (28th), Alec Ogletree (Georgia) – St. Louis Rams (30th) 2014: Greg Robinson (Auburn) – St. Louis Rams (2nd), Kyle Fuller (Virginia Tech) – Chicago Bears (14th), C.J. Mosley (Alabama) – Baltimore Ravens (17th), Ja’Wuan James (Tennessee) – Miami Dolphins (19th), Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix (Alabama) – Green Bay Packers (21st), Dee Ford (Auburn)- Kansas City Chiefs (23rd)
2015: Amari Cooper (Alabama) – Oakland Raiders (4th), Kevin White (West Virginia) – Chicago Bears (7th), Vic Beasley (Clemson) – Atlanta Falcons (8th), Stephone Anthony (Clemson) – New Orleans Saints (31st)
2016: Sheldon Rankins (Louisville) – New Orleans Saints (12th), Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss) – Miami Dolphins (13th), Karl Joseph (West Virginia) – Oakland Raiders (14th), Ryan Kelly (Alabama) – Indianapolis Colts (18th), Laquon Treadwell (Ole Miss) – Minnesota Vikings (23rd), Robert Nkemdiche (Ole Miss) – Arizona Cardinals (30th)
2017: Mitchell Trubisky (North Carolina) – Chicago Bears (2nd), Marlon Humphrey (Alabama) – Baltimore Ravens (16th), Jonathan Allen (Alabama) – Washington Redskins (17th), O.J. Howard (Alabama) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19th), Evan Engram (Ole Miss) – New York Giants (23rd), Reuben Foster (Alabama) – San Francisco 49ers (31st)
2018: Roquan Smith (Georgia) – Chicago Bears (8th), Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama) – Miami Dolphins (11th), Daron Payne (Alabama) – Washington Redskins (13th), Derwin James (Florida State) – Los Angeles Chargers (17th), Jaire Alexander (Louisville) – Green Bay Packers (18th), Rashaan Evans (Alabama) – Tennessee Titans (22nd), Isaiah Wynn (Georgia) – New England Patriots (23rd), Calvin Ridley (Alabama) – Atlanta Falcons (26th), Sony Michel (Georgia) – New England Patriots (31st), Lamar Jackson (Louisville) – Baltimore Ravens (32nd)
2019: Quinnen Williams (Alabama) – New York Jets (3rd), Jonah Williams (Alabama) – Cincinnati Bengals (11th), Brian Burns (Florida State) – Carolina Panthers (16th), Josh Jacobs (Alabama) – Oakland Raiders (24th), Deandre Baker (Georgia) – New York Giants (30th), Kaleb McGary (Washington) – Atlanta Falcons (31st)
2020: Andrew Thomas (Georgia) – New York Giants (4th), Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) – Miami Dolphins (5th), Derrick Brown (Auburn) – Carolina Panthers (7th), Jedrick Wills (Alabama) – Cleveland Browns (10th), Henry Ruggs (Alabama) – Las Vegas Raiders (12th), Jerry Jeudy (Alabama) – Denver Broncos (15th), Noah Igbinoghene (Auburn) –Miami Dolphins (30th)
2021: Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) – Miami Dolphins (6th), Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) – Denver Broncos (9th), Devonta Smith (Alabama) – Philadelphia Eagles (10th), Mac Jones (Alabama) – New England Patriots (15th), Alex Leatherwood (Alabama) – Las Vegas Raiders (17th), Najee Harris (Alabama) – Pittsburgh Steelers (24th), Joe Tyron (Washington) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32nd)
2022: Evan Neal (Alabama) – New York Giants (7th), Jameson Williams (Alabama) – Detroit Lions (12th)
2023: Bryce Young (Alabama) – Carolina Panthers (1st), Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – Houston Texans (3rd), Jalen Carter (Georgia) – Philadelphia Eagles (9th), Broderick Jones (Georgia) – Pittsburgh Steelers (14th), Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) – New England Patriots (16th), Myles Murphy (Clemson) – Cincinnati Bengals (28th), Bryan Bresee (Clemson) – New Orleans Saints (29th), Nolan Smith (Georgia) – Philadelphia Eagles (30th)
2024: JC Latham (Alabama) – Tennessee Titans (7th), Bo Nix (Oregon) – Denver Broncos (12th), Brock Bowers (Georgia) – Las Vegas Raiders (13th), Dallas Turner (Alabama) – Minnesota Vikings (17th), Amarius Mims (Georgia) – Cincinnati Bengals (18th), Nate Wiggins (Clemson) – Baltimore Ravens (30th)
2025: Mykel Williams (Georgia) – 49ers (11th), Jalon Walker (Georgia) – Falcons (15th), Malaki Starks (Georgia) – Ravens (27th), Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon) – Commanders (29th)
National Coaches of the Year
Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech) – AP Coach of the Year (1999)
Tommy Bowden (Clemson) – 2006 FCA Football Coaches of the Year
David Cutcliffe (Duke) – Walter Camp Coach of the Year (2013), The Sporting News Co-Coach of the Year (2013), Maxwell Football Club Coach of the Year (2013), Bobby Dodd Coach of The Year (2013), AFCA Coach of the Year (2013)
Larry Fedora (North Carolina) – FCA Coach of the Year (2016)
Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech) – Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award (2004)
Gus Malzahn (Auburn) – AP College Football Coach of the Year (2013), Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year (2013)
Les Miles (LSU) – AP National Coach of the Year (2011)
Chris Petersen (Boise State) – Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year (2006, 2009), Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year (2010)
Nick Saban (Alabama) – George Munger Coach of the Year (2016), AP National Coach of the Year (2003, 2008), Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year (2014)
Kirby Smart (Georgia) – George Munger Award (2017)
National Award Winners
Jalen Milroe (Alabama) – 2024 Campbell Trophy
Jalon Walker (UGA) – 2024 Dick Butkus Award
Bo Nix (Oregon) – 2023 Campbell Trophy
Brock Bowers (Georgia) – 2023 John Mackey Award
Ladd McConkey (Georgia) – 2023 Wuerffel Trophy
Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2022 Chuck Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Stetson Bennett (Georgia) – 2022 Burlsworth Trophy
Brock Bowers (Georgia) – John Mackey Award
Bryce Young (Alabama) – 2021 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award
Landon Dickerson (Alabama) – 2020 Rimington Trophy
Najee Harris (Alabama) – 2020 Doak Walker Award
Pressley Harvin III (Georgia Tech) – 2020 Ray Guy Award
Mac Jones (Alabama) – 2020 Davey O'Brien Award, 2020 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Alex Leatherwood (Alabama) – 2020 Outland Trophy
DeVonta Smith (Alabama) – 2020 Heisman Trophy, 2020 Maxwell Award, 2020 Walter Camp Award, 2020 Fred Biletnikoff Award, 2020 Paul Hornung Award
Rodrigo Blankenship (Georgia) – 2019 Lou Groza Award
Deandre Baker (Georgia) – 2018 Jim Thorpe Award
Jerry Jeudy (Alabama) – 2018 Fred Biletnikoff Award
Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) – 2018 Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award
Quinnen Williams (Alabama) – 2018 Outland Trophy
Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama) – 2017 Jim Thorpe Award, Chuck Bednarik Award
Roquan Smith (Georgia) – 2017 Dick Butkus Award
Jonathan Allen (Alabama) – 2016 Vince Lombardi/Rotary Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Ted Hendricks Award
Lamar Jackson (Louisville) – 2016 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award
Cam Robinson (Alabama) – 2016 Outland Trophy
Derrick Henry (Alabama) – 2015 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Doak Walker Award
Ryan Kelly (Alabama) – 2015 Rimington Trophy
Amari Cooper (Alabama) – 2014 Fred Biletnikoff Award
A.J. McCarron (Alabama) – 2013 Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award C.J. Mosley (Alabama) – 2013 Dick Butkus Award
Barrett Jones (Alabama) – 2012 Rimington Trophy, Campbell Trophy
Dwayne Allen (Clemson) – 2011 John Mackey Award
Morris Claiborne (LSU) – 2011 Jim Thorpe Award
Barrett Jones (Alabama) – 2011 Outland Trophy
Tyrann Mathieu (LSU) – 2011 Bednarik Award
Trent Richardson (Alabama) – 2011 Doak Walker Award
Da’Quan Bowers (Clemson) – 2010 Nagurski Award
Patrick Peterson (LSU) – 2010 Thorpe, Bednarik Award
Mark Ingram (Alabama) 2009 Heisman Trophy
Rolando McClain (Alabama) – 2009 Butkus Award
Andre Smith (Alabama) – 2008 Outland Trophy