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INTRODCUTION
Football has always been about the big hit. Any play that features a player get knocked off their feet is bound to go viral, that’s what the fans want to see. Due to this aggressive nature, player safety has been neglected, specifically, the safety of the head. This has led to serious brain trauma that has lead to the deaths of former players. To keep the game going the NFL had to innovate and put player safety first, this was the only way to keep "America's Game" alive. -
The First Football Helmets - James Naismith
James Naismith is most known for being "The Father of Basketball". However, he is widely credited with making the first football helmet. Naismith played for the YMCA National College Football team in 1891. He wanted to cover his damaged ears so he made an apparatus that was made of pieces of flannel and a simple strap under his chin. It provided little to no real protection, and made it hot and hard to hear. Because of this, this helmet was not very popular. -
The First Football Helmets - Joseph M Reaves
Football often meant hospital trips back in the day. Joseph M Reaves , who played for the Navy Football team, was told that one more blow to his head would cause "insanity or death". The first helmet was made for him in 1893 by a local shoemaker. It was a leather hat with earflaps. These helmets were effective enough that they were used by pilots and paratroopers in WWI. -
Spalding No. 60 Head Harness
Henry Mason made the first widely accepted football helmet. This was worn across the Intercollegiate Athletic Association, due to the rise in head injuries. Unfortunately, this helmet had the opposite effect. Players had a false sense of safety wearing these caps, it led to heads being used as battering rams. Because of this, the helmet was short-lived, and was banned from the league in 1903. -
Zuppke Helmet
Illinois Coach, Bob Zuppke created the first helmet with full head protection. The innovative head harness and rubber sponge crown helped prevent concussions. The air holes and ear holes fixed the heat and hearing problem. Later on the helmet adapted hard leather, which is what the NFL used in their first season in 1920. This was known as the "Leatherhead Era" -
First Plastic Helmet
John T Riddell was a high school coach when he created the most protective helmet at the time. This one featured a plastic shell, a suspension lining allowing for better comfort, and a chin strap that was added later. These were not adapted by the NFL until after WWI because of the plastic shortages. They became mandatory in NFL in 1943. These were also used as a base design for WWI field soldier helmets. -
First Decorated NFL Helmet
Helmets were dull and brown until Fred Gerkhe decided to paint his, symbolizing the team he played for, The Los Angeles Rams. The idea blew up, and other teams quickly caught on -
Riddell BT-5: The First Helmet with a Face-mask
In 1955, Cleveland Browns Quarterback, Otto Graham suffered a face injury that required 15 stitches. They needed to modify a the existing helmet in order for him to be safe to play. Coach Paul Brown and the Browns' equipment manager quickly put together a clear plastic bar across Graham's face, protecting his mouth. The design was overall very weak, but was improved upon by John T Riddell. Coach Paul Brown told Riddell that he wanted a bar that was light but strong. The league adapted quickly. -
The Radiohead: The First Helmet with Radio Communication
The Browns were not done innovating. Inventors George Sarles and John Campbell came to Coach Paul Brown to pitch an idea. They successfully created a helmet that had a transistor radio in it, allowing for quick communication for on-field play calling. Other teams tried this innovations, but they didn't have the brains of Sarles and Campbell. This was a clear advantage so the NFL outlawed the "Radiohead". In-helmet communication wouldn't be allowed until 1995. -
Riddell VSR-4
(Worn By Lawrence Taylor) Helmets did not change much in this timespan. The helmets built off the classic Riddell helmet, mainly just adding face-mask bars. It also featured an air-fitted liner system. The idea at the time was that more padding = protection. Head safety wasn't the biggest concern at the time for the NFL, which costed some retired players' their lives. -
Riddell Revolution: Riddell introduces new safety system
(Worn by Peyton Manning) The first major helmet development in over 20 years had finally come. With the NFL finally realizes its mighty concussion issue, they assigned Riddell with the task of being part of the solution. They came up with SRS (Sideline Response System) technology in their helmets. These had monitors in them that would reports hits and impacts on the players head. . This helmet was also now made of polycarbonate, making it stronger and lighter than Riddell's older plastic shell. -
Riddell Precision Fit SpeedFlex: Helmets go high tech
(Worn by Alvin Kamara) By this time, the concussion issue has been one of the football's main point of emphasis. Riddell and other helmet companies such as VICIS, and Schutt, have created state of the Art helmets used across all areas of football. Players skulls are now scanned to fit exactly right, greatly increasing their safety -
NFL Guardian Cap
As of this year, the NFL now requires all players to wear padded caps on their helmets during the practice portion of the off season. On top of this the NFL releases an index that showcases which helmets are recommended (safest) and which helmets are the least safe. The least safe helmets would then be banned -
CONCLUSION
Football has and always will be violent. During its inception, there was little attention paid to player safety, specifically to one’s head. Concussions were unknown, as were the long-term effects that football can have on one’s brain. Since its first adaptation in the 1890s, the football helmet has seen many necessary evolutions in its time. The goal has always been to have the safest, most comfortable and most technologically advanced helmets to keep the game going in the right direction.