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This first helmet was made by James Naismith, with thick leather, to protect guys from arrows in combat, sword blows, etc. This was not mandatory to wear, but some guys did choose to wear it.
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In 1915, ear holes and additional padding was added to the helmet to improve on-field communication. The additional padding was added on the top of the head, and the back
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In 1917, the ZH helmet was invented by Robert Zuppke. This type of helmet used padding to cradle the head and absorb shock from hard tackles and hits.
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In 1940, a guy named John T. Riddell and his son they started making plastic helmets. These had a lot of concerns, whether they would crack if a head on head collision occurred. He then designed a chinstrap that would keep the helmet from coming off. Riddell designed the plastic helmet in the shape of a teardrop, so it allowed a blow to slide to the side of their head.
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In 1948, the Los Angeles Rams running back Fred Gehrke painted horns on their helmets. This was initially to help the quarterback distinguish who his players who, and who the defenders were.
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In 1949, the NFL made plastic helmets legal after they arranged things around and was safe for players.
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During a game in 1953, Browns head coach Paul Brown created the single-bar face mask after his quarterbacks mouth was tore open after a hard hit. Instead of taking him out of the game because they needed him, he did this to protect his mouth and get the win.
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In 1955, Paul Brown met with Riddell to see if they can make a radio helmet. This would make it easier to communicate with your coach to coordinate plays instead of running over to him every play. This method was banned 3 days after but was put back into action in 1994 and is still present now.
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In the mid 1980's-1990's, air-filled padding made lighter cushioning. They started to wear Polycarbonate helmets. These "smart helmets" can wirelessly send impact data to the computers on the sidelines so that when you get hit, they can see how hard it was, and if it is dangerous for a concussion.
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In 1998, players are allowed to wear visors over their helmets. The reason for this was to protect their eyes from anything going in it, or if it was sunny, they can still see the ball.
