South Alabama trolls Tulane with Mardi Gras helmet for matchup in New Orleans
By Sean Labar
Published:
South Alabama added extra fuel to the fire for it’s opening game of the season vs. No. 24 Tulane in New Orleans on Saturday.
On Wednesday night, the Jaguars dropped their official uniform reveal video which included an all-white combination that felt fairly routine for an away matchup. But things got spicy in the final few seconds of the video when a “HOME OF MARDI GRAS” sticker was revealed on the back of the South Alabama helmets.
Get ready to enjoy the show. Week 1 uniform reveal ??#LEO pic.twitter.com/iAg439hsAg
— South Alabama Football ? (@SouthAlabamaFB) August 30, 2023
The helmets also include an alternate logo paying homage to the famous southern celebration, with the school’s mascot centered between two halves of the Mardi Gras harlequin and “Mobile 1703” placed below it.
New Orleans is widely known as the famous city when it comes to the Mardi Gras celebration, but according to AL.com, Mobile actually began its festivities in 1703, 150 years before New Orleans did in 1857.
South Alabama coach Kane Wommack told AL.com the Jaguars won’t wear the “Home of Mardi Gras” bumper plate decal on Saturday night, but will wear the Mardi Gras logos on the right side of their helmets.
That makes the video even more interesting — as the stickers were clearly added to the video with the sole purpose of trolling Tulane and the city of New Orleans on the internet four days before the game.
“We’re very proud of our Mardi Gras here; they are, too,” Wommack added. “I think we’ve got the edge by 154 years. … We’re proud of being the birthplace of Mardi Gras, and we like to wear those things on our helmets from time-to-time.”
The Jaguars finished 10-3 last season and clearly aren’t intimidated by the 2023 nationally-ranked Tulane squad.
While most casual fans would likely overlook this game, it’s now become one of the under-the-radar intriguing matchups of the weekend. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN U.
Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.
