The Buckeye Leaf stickers, designed in 1950 by comic artist Milton Caniff, were affixed on Ohio State football helmets beginning in 1968 as a reward system for major plays on the field. Helmet sticker awards are presently used by 22 Division I FBS teams. These decorations, however, are much more than gestures of gratitude. They represent a rite of passage, with a player's status among his colleagues evaluated by how richly covered his helmet becomes with stickers over the course of a season.