-
Riddell Video
-
Company was founded
The company was founded in 1927 by John T. Riddell -
The first cleat
He then found a company that would make football shoes with this cleat, but in 1927 he quit teaching and coaching to open his own company. Based in Chicago, Riddell, Inc. also developed and manufactured the first soft-spike baseball shoe -
Basketball was made
In 1939 Riddell perfected the first molded basketball but had to discontinue making them during World War II because of difficulty in getting the right materials; it never resumed making this product -
The first Shell helmet
John Riddell's most lasting development may have been the plastic-shell football helmet, which he made in 1939. This was a replacement to the leather ones. During this time the First chin strap was made -
Low cut football shoe
He was also responsible for the chin strap and the first low-cut football shoe, both in 1940. -
The end of Mr.Riddell
Riddell died in 1945, But that wasnt the end of his football helments. -
Profection
Morgan( Mr.Riddell partner) traveled with the pro teams for several seasons, designing, improving, and adjusting new equipment ideas. One of these was a bar attached to the helmet of Cleveland Browns quarterback Otto Graham to protect his face. This eventually led to the double bar, the face mask, and other protective devices. Another idea was less successful: a two-way radio so that Browns coach Paul Brown could communicate with Graham while the quarterback was on the field. -
Evolving
the TAK-29 was the first helmet to use air inflation for fitting the helmet snug to the head. But with just one air valve at the base of the helmet. -
Becoming Bigger
By 1975 Riddell was unique among sporting equipment manufacturers in making only two products: helmets and shoes. It earned close to $1 million that year on revenues of about $9.9 million. By the mid-1970s the company was furnishing all National Football League teams except the New England Patriots with helmets -
Exspanding the products
Riddell was sold to Wynn's International Inc., in 1975. The following year a number of new products were introduced, including several models of casual and training shoes for jogging and general recreation, an expanded line of popular-priced football shoes, special-purpose footwear for softball and soccer, a new vinyl-cleat football shoe for the youth market, and lighter weight football face masks. -
Riddell sold again
The company was having trouble finding skilled shoemakers and meeting competition in the shoe business, however, so it dropped all footwear manufacturing in 1979. The following year Wynn's sold Riddell to, Bell Helmets Inc., -
The largest producer
Riddell still was the nation's largest manufacturer of football helmets at the beginning of 1985 -
Riddell Sports
in 1988 they renamed Riddell inc. to ( Riddell Sports ) -
NFL Helments
Riddell now held 60 percent of the National Football League helmet market, and one of its assets was the right to market helmets with the names of the league's teams on them. In 1989 Riddell signed an agreement (renewed in 1994) with the NFL's licensing arm, promising to make helmets, shoulder pads, and other gear available to the league's teams for free if 90 percent of a team's players used its helmets. -
Ice hockeey
Riddell introduced ice hockey shoulder pads to its product line in 1992 -
VSR-4
this helmet features the first air-fitted liner system -
More product
- Riddell was also selling accessory pads, including thigh, hip, rib, and knee pads. In addition, this subsidiary began selling baseballs and softballs, protective baseball equipment, and certain other baseball and softball equipment for high school and college players in 1996. Later in the year it added practicewear such as T-shirts, shorts, fleece warmups, and other basic athletic clothing to its product line.
-
Riddell company was growing
Riddell Sports' was the fastest growing line in 1996 consisted of sports collectible products, primarily authentic and replica football helmets of professional and college teams, offered in miniature and full-size models -
Getting a boost
Riddell got a boost in 1997, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young switched to a Riddell helmet after suffering his third brain concussion in ten months. Eight out of ten NFL players already were wearing the heavily padded Riddell headgear -
Revolution
The Helmet "Revolution " was made , first football helmet to have a jawline protection, enery manging material on the sides of the face and increased the distance from the inside of the shell to the top of the head -
Hits techonology
Riddell made slideline response system ( Hits ) the first helmet system to monitor and report impacts -
Revolution Speed 360
was made for better comfort and better protection -
Shoulder pads
RipKord shoulder pads , they proides faster, easier access to athletes chest and airway in emergencies -
Revolution 360
Riddells 360 helmet was the first desigened to redirect enegry from frontal impacts away from the head using a new face mask attachment system with strategically placed hinge clips
