Hilarious Facemask

[guest23]

I've actually wondered if any football players ever did that because they liked the fit of their helmet.

I remember reading something years ago that Ken Stabler took his Raiders helmet with him and had it repainted when he switched teams (Oilers, then Saints).

It definitely happens with helmets and even shoulder pads but primarily among skill position players. If you are playing any position that lines up inside the box or play between the hash marks chances are that your equipment will last no more than a season. Shells crack and masks bend semi frequently when playing at that level so you can't really get attached to your gear.

[sc49erfan15]

Steve Young had pretty good mobility with that mask. Just ask the Vikings.

fun fact that was his byu/la express helmet that he kept getting repainted until he started to become concussion prone and finally switched to a schutt/bike/air...not sure if many other players kept the same helmet across so many teams like he did.

I'm a huge Steve Young fan - never heard that before. Can you provide a source? It appears that Young switched to the smaller 1990s-era QB-style facemask in 1991. Never knew the facemask switch coincided with a helmet switch due to concussions.

This is a distant memory but from what I can recall it was one of those announcer tidbits that was mentioned during a game broadcast. Growing up in the bay area, I probably watched evey 9ers game from '85 to '00. Not sure if the mention was closer to when he started to see regular playing time when montana got hurt or when he finally became a starter. Also you can refer back to old photos from college/afl/nfl and can tell that the helmet/mask combo is consistent throughout. Lastly while he was on the 9ers he was clearly wearing a very old riddell model as it was one of the last ones to not have the neck bumper on back.

Cool. BTW - I wasn't doubting or questioning you, just wanted to see if that was in an article or something.

[guest23]

Steve Young had pretty good mobility with that mask. Just ask the Vikings.

fun fact that was his byu/la express helmet that he kept getting repainted until he started to become concussion prone and finally switched to a schutt/bike/air...not sure if many other players kept the same helmet across so many teams like he did.

I'm a huge Steve Young fan - never heard that before. Can you provide a source? It appears that Young switched to the smaller 1990s-era QB-style facemask in 1991. Never knew the facemask switch coincided with a helmet switch due to concussions.

This is a distant memory but from what I can recall it was one of those announcer tidbits that was mentioned during a game broadcast. Growing up in the bay area, I probably watched evey 9ers game from '85 to '00. Not sure if the mention was closer to when he started to see regular playing time when montana got hurt or when he finally became a starter. Also you can refer back to old photos from college/afl/nfl and can tell that the helmet/mask combo is consistent throughout. Lastly while he was on the 9ers he was clearly wearing a very old riddell model as it was one of the last ones to not have the neck bumper on back.

Cool. BTW - I wasn't doubting or questioning you, just wanted to see if that was in an article or something.

No worries. Was just trying to further elaborate on the origins of my observation.

[leopard88]

Tom Matte (old Colts RB . . . and emergency QB (and originator of the playbook wristband)) brought his Ohio State helmet with him to the NFL. He eventually ditched it after several seasons.

The wristband story, for those who have never heard it --

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/05/27/nfl-history-in-95-objects-tom-matte-playbook-wristband/

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/when-an-nfl-team-turned-to-a-running-back-to-play-quarterback-122413

[Buster]

Certainly looks like it could be the same helmet here

I've actually wondered if any football players ever did that because they liked the fit of their helmet.

I heard that when Bruce Bochy was a major league baseball player he carried his helmet from team to team and had them paint it at each stop. The reason behind this was because his head was so big it was hard to find a helmet that fit.

According to the NFL and their rationale for not allowing throwback helmets...ALL players should be repainting their helmets when traded to reduce concussions.

[jc...]

When I played in high school, as a RB/DL I started off with the typical QB type mask like the one Aaron Rodgers has, with the extra bar which was a good place for your mouthpiece. After realizing that my chin was always sore for some dumb reason, I switched to the now appropriately named immobile QB/lineman mask. I was much happier with function over looks.

[TheRicSlick]

When I played in high school, as a RB/DL I started off with the typical QB type mask like the one Aaron Rodgers has, with the extra bar which was a good place for your mouthpiece. After realizing that my chin was always sore for some dumb reason, I switched to the now appropriately named immobile QB/lineman mask. I was much happier with function over looks.

You must have been a big running back to be on the D-line.

[jc...]

When I played in high school, as a RB/DL I started off with the typical QB type mask like the one Aaron Rodgers has, with the extra bar which was a good place for your mouthpiece. After realizing that my chin was always sore for some dumb reason, I switched to the now appropriately named immobile QB/lineman mask. I was much happier with function over looks.

You must have been a big running back to be on the D-line.

No sir. Small school. Small kid. I probably weighed 150lbs back then. We all did what we could with what we had. I could shoot the gaps quicker than the lineman could get off the ball. This was 16-18 years ago. Kids are built better now. Football use to be a mid-August thru November thing. Now they workout all year round.