This well worn but beautiful cardinal Riddell TAK 29 helmet would be recognized as a University Of Southern California helmet by even the most casual of fans. This specific helmet has a history, one that reflects two distinct “football lives.” It was first worn by wide receiver Kenny Randle in 1973 and one can envision his excitement as he used a marking pen to write his name and number 28 inside of the shell so that he could distinguish his new helmet from that of his teammates. Though he lettered, Randle was not “the number 28” on the Trojans’ squad that season as the more famous 28 was worn by All American USC legend “AD” Anthony Davis. Randle came to USC from Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri, primarily as a track athlete though it was expected that his speed and football abilities would be used immediately. While AD completed his collegiate eligibility in ’74 in spectacular fashion, Randle focused on track but returned to the Trojan squad to again letter in both 1975 and ’76, still wearing his TAK 29 helmet. However, his best days as a Trojan athlete came during the 1976 track season as he ranked number 6 in the world in the 400 meters, winning the NCAA Championship with a time of 45.2 seconds. He was named the PAC 10 Track And Field Athlete Of The Year and moved on to a tryout with the Cleveland Browns for the ’77 season.

Randle’s helmet was then passed on to Marty King. A product of Bellamarine High School in San Jose, California, the 6’2”, 210 pound King then lettered at West Valley (CA) Junior College and played one season at Santa Clara University before accepting USC’s scholarship offer. As the Trojans' first team punter, one can assume that King, like Randle before him, was proud to wear the Trojan headgear and like Randle, wrote his name and his number 4 inside the shell to mark it as his own. King wore this helmet through the 1977 and ’78 seasons, serving as one of the best punters on the West Coast.