DETROIT – The Wayne State University Department of Athletics unveiled a new football uniform Thursday in honor of the 100th anniversary of Wayne State Athletics.
The uniforms include the anniversary logo, as well as the Medal of Honor logo and the last name of a Medal of Honor recipient.
Recommended Videos
The Medal of Honor is the highest award in the military for valor in action against an enemy force. Only 3,499 recipients in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
"The more I thought about a century of athletics at WSU, I couldn't help but think of those who have sacrificed so much so that we could have those 100 years, and I kept coming back to the military," said Rob Fournier, director of athletics. "So as we celebrate our 100 years, we likewise pay tribute to those who have performed in the most difficult of situations to give us the freedom to play kid's games."
All of WSU's 18 athletic teams will have an apparel item with patches representing both the 100th anniversary logo and the Medal of Honor, as well as the name of a Medal of Honor recipient.
"The Medal of Honor is the greatest testament in our country to that sacrifice. So all our teams will have the name of one of those heroes on their backs, because as we know, they have always had our backs," Fournier said.
Four hundred twelve Medal of Honor recipient names were selected to represent each branch of the military, including the only female recipient, Mary Walker of the U.S. Army.
The new football uniforms will be worn for the first time Saturday when WSU takes on Saginaw Valley State.
Sign up for ClickOnDetroit breaking news alerts and email newsletters