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The First Helmet
The first football helmet was made by an Annapolis shoe maker for a Navy football player. Admiral Joseph Reeves had been told by the team doctor that if he gets kicked in the head agian he would be riscking death. The helmet was three leather straps. They called it the head-harness. They were orginally made by hand. (http://www.pasttimesports.biz/history.html) -
The Leather Helmet Improves
By the 1920s, players started to wear hardend leather helmets for protection. Helmets were not mandatory unilt 1943, but some players began to wear the hardend leather helmets. These helmets did not give a ton of protection but gave some. This helmet was a more advanced helmnt than the first helmnt to be used. (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/leatherhead-to-radio-head-the-evolution-of-the-football-helmet-56585562/?no-ist) -
The Plastic Helmet
In 1939, John T. Riddle created the first plastic helmet. It made the game much safer, but these helmets didnt last long. During World War 2 plastic became more scarce. When the war ended the helmets became more common,but there was a problem, if a player got it hard eough the helmet would break.
(http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/leatherhead-to-radio-head-the-evolution-of-the-football-helmet-56585562/?no-ist) -
The Face Bar
Up until 1955 there was no face mask, all helmets were open. That changed when they added a single bar to the plastic padded helmet. Paul Brown, the first Browns head coach, came up with the face bar after his quaterback got hit right in the mouth. The equiment manger put just a single bar on his helmet and then he went right back in. After the game all Browns players were required to wear the sigl bar on there helmet. (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/leatherhead-to-radio-head-t -
Better Padding and Protection
The 80s brought better pads and full facemasks. The padding was bigger and made of foam. The facemasks covered the players full face so it procted them from getting blackeyes and bloody noses. On average the helmet weighs about 3 pounds. It is made up of polycarbonate over a layer of aluminum.
(http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/leatherhead-to-radio-head-the-evolution-of-the-football-helmet-56585562/?no-ist) -
Radios in the helmets
In 1995 the NFL created a new rule which allowed quaterbacks to have radios in the helmets. The purpose of the radios are for the coaches to tell the quaterbacks the play. In the NFL when your on feild it is so fast paced that you cant look to the sidelines every play you need to just have it told to you. This changed the game compltely. (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/leatherhead-to-radio-head-the-evolution-of-the-football-helmet-56585562/?no-ist) -
Current helmets
Its been a while sence there were leather helmets in the NFL. Now players are able to choose there own helmets for whatever reason. Many of the new helmets help protect players from injury. On Sundays you see many helments on the feild. you should rember back to when they used to play with leather.
(http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/leatherhead-to-radio-head-the-evolution-of-the-football-helmet-56585562/?no-ist)
