Archie Griffin Signed Ohio State Black Alternate Mini Helmet "HT 1974/75" - BAS

Add the signature of the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in NCAA history — paired with the inscription naming the years of those two Heismans, on the Ohio State black alternate canvas — to your collection with this Archie Griffin Autographed Ohio State Buckeyes Black Alternate Riddell Speed Mini Football Helmet with "HT 1974/75" Inscription — BAS Authenticated. Griffin signed this Riddell Speed mini directly on the Ohio State black alternate shell and added the inscription "HT 1974/75" — naming the two seasons he won the Heisman Trophy. The black alternate is one of the most popular helmets in Ohio State's modern collector lineup, pairing a contemporary alternate-uniform aesthetic with the signature of the program's most singular all-time legend. Griffin remains, fifty years after his second Heisman in December 1975, the only player ever to win the trophy twice — every Heisman class from 1976 through the present has produced a winner; not one has repeated the feat. Authenticated through Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) with a tamper-proof numbered hologram and certificate of authenticity verifiable at Beckett's website.

This Ohio State Buckeyes Black Alternate Riddell Speed Mini Helmet has been hand-signed and inscribed "HT 1974/75" by Archie Griffin. The autograph and inscription have been certified authentic by Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) with a tamper-proof numbered hologram verifiable at Beckett's website.

Product Highlights

• Hand-signed and inscribed "HT 1974/75" by Archie Griffin — the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in NCAA history (1974 and 1975); College Football Hall of Fame Class of 1986; Ohio State Buckeyes legend with No. 45 retired
• Ohio State Buckeyes Black Alternate Riddell Speed Mini Helmet — Ohio State's modern black alternate design; one of the most popular helmets in Ohio State's contemporary collector lineup
• Black-on-black signature contrast: paint-pen autograph and inscription read with maximum visual clarity against the black shell, producing one of the most photogenic signing canvases in college collectibles
• "HT 1974/75" inscription — names the two consecutive seasons Griffin won the Heisman Trophy; the credential that fifty years of college football has not produced a second example of
• BAS Authenticated — tamper-proof numbered hologram applied to the helmet; verifiable at Beckett's website
• NCAA records held: 31 consecutive regular-season games rushing for 100+ yards (still stands); only player ever to start four Rose Bowls; 5,589 career rushing yards (Ohio State all-time record)
• Backed by our Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee

The Black Alternate Canvas — Modern Design, All-Time Signature

The black alternate is part of Ohio State's modern uniform rotation rather than the program's traditional silver-with-buckeye-leaves on-field helmet. Ohio State's iconic primary helmet — the silver shell with red stripes and Buckeye leaf stickers — has been the team's on-field design since 1968 and is one of the most recognizable helmets in college football. The black alternate sits alongside it as a contemporary collector and uniform-rotation design, appealing to a different aesthetic preference than the traditional silver while still carrying full official Ohio State paint and decals. For a Griffin signing, the black canvas produces something the silver canvas cannot: maximum signature contrast. Paint-pen autographs read with photographic clarity against a black shell, making the signature itself the dominant visual element of the piece. Collectors who specifically want the autograph to be the focal point of the display — rather than competing with the buckeye leaf stickers and scarlet/gray paint of the traditional shell — gravitate toward the black alternate for that reason. The piece is also a cleaner aesthetic match for collectors building displays around Ohio State's modern era of teams and merchandise rather than the program's 1970s heritage.

"HT 1974/75" — A Credential That Has Stood Alone for Fifty Years

The Heisman Trophy is the most famous individual award in American sports, given annually since 1935 to the most outstanding player in college football. Across ninety seasons of college football and ninety Heisman classes, only one player has won the trophy twice. Archie Griffin won the 1974 Heisman as a junior at Ohio State after rushing for 1,620 yards and twelve touchdowns. He won the 1975 Heisman as a senior after rushing for 1,357 yards in an unbeaten regular season, becoming the first player in the trophy's history — and the only player in its history through the present — to win it in consecutive years. December 2025 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the second Heisman. Fifty Heisman classes have been awarded since: from Tony Dorsett in 1976 through every winner across the decades into the modern Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels classes. Not one of those fifty winners has won a second. The "HT 1974/75" inscription names the two specific seasons that make Griffin singular in college football history — a credential that has had fifty years and counting to be matched and remains untouched.

The Career — Records That Still Stand

Griffin's case for the Heismans was built on consistency unmatched in college football history. He rushed for 100 or more yards in 31 consecutive regular-season games — an NCAA record that still stands fifty years later — and finished with 33 total 100-yard games. His 5,589 career rushing yards remain the Ohio State all-time record, and at the time of his graduation in 1976 the figure was the all-time NCAA rushing record across all college football. He is the only player in college football history to start four Rose Bowls (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976), led Ohio State to a 40-5-1 record and four consecutive Big Ten Championships across his four seasons, and was a three-time first-team All-American. The College Football Hall of Fame inducted Griffin in 1986. Ohio State retired his No. 45 jersey at halftime of the Ohio State vs. Penn State game on October 30, 1999. He was named to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1990 and to the Rose Bowl All-Century 1970s Player of the Decade in 2014.

BAS Authentication

This helmet has been certified authentic by Beckett Authentication Services (BAS). A tamper-proof numbered hologram has been applied directly to the helmet, and the Beckett-issued hologram number can be verified online at Beckett's website. Beckett Authentication Services operates as one of the major third-party authentication providers in sports memorabilia, with verification chains used by collectors, retailers, and resale platforms across the industry.

Specifications

Authenticity Guarantee

Every signed piece at GameDay Sports Memorabilia is backed by our Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee. If your item is ever determined to be inauthentic, we will replace or refund it — no questions asked.