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The first helmet was made by George Barclay. He developed the "head harness" by designing a headgear which had three thick leather straps forming a close fit around his head, made by a harness maker.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_football_helmet -
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This leather helmet was used by the Syracuse University football team.
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The plastic football helmet was invented and patented by John T. Riddell and his son John T. Riddell Jr., of the John T. Riddell Company in Chicago.
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G.E. Morgan a consultant to Riddell, and Paul Brown the coach of the Cleveland Browns, invented the BT-5 face mask which is the single bar design.
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The Riddell Company received a patent for "Energy Absorbing and Sizing Means for Helmets." The result: new HA-91 and HA-92 energy-absorbing, "microfit" helmet.
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Because of concern for safety, four point chin straps were required in college ball.
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Space age rigid Polycarbonate alloy plastic helmets and vinyl coated steel alloy face masks were the norm in the 1980's and 1990's.
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2002 Riddell released a new more spherical design for the helmet called the Revolution (or Revo) and it is currently the most widely used helmet in the National Football League
