A Transformative Call: The Journey of Armando Villarreal

Armando Villarreal was clinging to the back of a garbage truck in his small hometown of Imperial, Nebraska, when his phone rang unexpectedly. Quickly, he shouted to the driver to stop, hopped off the truck, and answered the call from Brad Haley, the business manager at Schutt Sports, a prominent manufacturer of football equipment. That conversation, which took place six years ago, significantly changed both Villarreal’s personal and artistic trajectory.

If that call had gone to voicemail, Villarreal might have continued his life working for the city of Imperial, a quaint community with a population of less than 2,000 nestled in rural southwest Nebraska. Fortunately, he picked up the phone and listened intently as Haley pitched a unique opportunity: to airbrush a specialty helmet for Mississippi State, honoring alumnus Sonny Montgomery — a World War II veteran and former Mississippi state politician.

Villarreal and Haley’s paths first crossed years earlier at a retail summit in Las Vegas, where Villarreal was representing a California-based art production company that had contracts with various professional teams and leagues. Since then, he has emerged as a leader in the niche field of custom helmet artistry. His recent work on Illinois’ leather helmets, which honored legend Red Grange during a game against Michigan last month, stands out as one of his finest achievements.

Since 2018, Villarreal has individually airbrushed helmets for 12 different college programs, including notable institutions such as Utah, UCF, Maryland, BYU, Michigan, and Tennessee. A former member of the U.S. Army Reserve, Villarreal was deployed to Kosovo and Iraq in the early 2000s. He juggled his municipal job with the demanding task of airbrushing hundreds of helmets each year — that was until 2022 when the growing demand for his artistry became too overwhelming to manage alongside his city job.

Typically, equipment staff at various college programs reach out to Schutt Sports, which in turn contacts Villarreal with the school’s request. Schutt handles the logistics of the orders for the necessary helmets, which are then shipped to Villarreal’s home in Imperial. “I just have to ensure it looks good on TV,” he remarked.

Each program usually has its own graphic designers create mock-ups that are sent to Villarreal. However, the challenge lies in wrapping a design around the entire helmet. Some concepts are straightforward and easier to execute, like UCF’s moon design that pays homage to the university’s historic ties to the U.S. space program, or Tennessee’s helmet that celebrates the beauty of the Smoky Mountains.

One particular project intimidated Villarreal to the point where he initially declined it several times. In 2021, Utah’s director of equipment, Cody Heidbreder, approached Villarreal with a request to paint helmets in memory of Utah players Ty Jordan, who passed away in 2020, and Aaron Lowe, who died in 2021. “I think I told them four times I couldn’t do it,” Villarreal recalled. “Cody just kept pushing me. Finally, I agreed to take it on. That was the year I decided to quit my day job because the workload was so significant. It took about six hours per helmet.”

Most programs approach Schutt and Villarreal with their ideas in November and December to prepare for the upcoming season. Currently, Villarreal is finalizing Utah’s special helmet design for their matchup against Iowa State on November 23 in Salt Lake City. “Once that’s wrapped up, we’ll start working on designs for next year,” he shared.

Helmets typically arrive in Imperial from Schutt between May and June each spring. Villarreal receives just the shell of the helmet — without the facemask or chin strap. He immediately begins the process of sanding each helmet down, with assistance from his wife and three children. This step is crucial; the helmet’s surface must be roughened to ensure proper adhesion of the paint and design.

A standard order usually consists of around 150 helmets per team. Some institutions may order extra helmets with the intention of selling or auctioning them as collectible items. Villarreal noted that Illinois has received such enthusiastic responses to their leather helmet that the athletic department is contemplating a special order after the season concludes.

Completing an entire order typically takes a minimum of two months, with the Illinois order estimated to require two hours per helmet, while the Utah helmets debuting later this month took approximately four hours each. “When you’re painting 155 helmets, the 32nd one must look just like the 76th one and the 120th one,” Villarreal emphasized. “Consistency is key.”

Villarreal works out of an old shop that once belonged to his father, and he also collaborates with his father-in-law, who owns a welding and fabrication shop in town. It is in this space that Villarreal dedicates hours, wearing a paint respirator as he meticulously applies intricate airbrush designs to helmet after helmet.

As his business gains momentum, Villarreal and his wife, Lora, are considering building their own studio and potentially hiring additional help if the demand continues to rise. Once, after returning from military service, Villarreal was airbrushing motorcycles in Florida. Now, he finds himself at the forefront of innovative college football uniform design.

“I’ve got to determine how many helmets we can realistically complete, as it all hinges on the complexity of the designs,” he explained. “The challenge is that players don’t report until spring, and their helmets need to be fitted first. There’s a narrow window where I think, how can we manage this? How many can we realistically finish?”

Villarreal reflected on the immense buzz surrounding the Illinois leather helmet. “I truly have no idea what the future holds. There’s certainly going to be a significant learning curve in the next year or two.”

Despite the challenges, Villarreal is taking the time to enjoy the journey. Recently, EA Sports College Football 25 updated its video game options to include Illinois’ throwback leather helmets. “The little kid in me is freaking out,” he posted on X. “I’m just so excited!”

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; All photos courtesy of Armando Villarreal)