You may have seen this photo of the supposed new 2013 Badger football helmets floating around Facebook and Twitter the past week or so:

Sorry Badger fans, but this helmet design isn't the real deal. After a bit of research, I got in touch with the culprit behind these bad boys, Johnny King (if that wasn't obvious given the photo). Here's the story.

King is an Indiana Hoosier fan (ok, we'll give him a break) and a graphic/fine artist who designs everything from sports jerseys to bumper stickers. So why did King begin designing sports apparel? "Indiana's football helmets bothered me because their IU interlock was too small. So I made a few adjustments to it," he says. After posting his Indiana designs to a message board on Peegs.com he was contacted by someone asking for a Wisconsin design. Although he "actually likes the Wisconsin helmet", he feels that schools with "cool looking mascots should take advantage of it. Sadly Indiana doesn't have one." Score 2 points for Bucky. Of the Wisconsin helmet, King says it was "kind of a quick design. I like the idea but actually have wanted to make a few adjustments." 

While we may not see this design on the field during the 2013 season, I still think King makes a pretty mean helmet.

If you are interested in seeing more of King's work, visit www.johnnykingdesign.com