Helmets and Facemasks

[John in KY]

Interesting note that about Favre's helmet. What span of time were WD-1's generally used if Favre is the last to have one? I find helmets one of the hardest things to identify sometimes!

RetroDan#16 - I would have to root around in the HelmetHut "Ask Dr. Del-Rye" section but I believe Riddell brought them out circa 1981-83 (sometime in those years) but they were in production until maybe 1999/2000. Riddell briefly tried something called a WD-2 that had a pre-inflated back of the helmet pad like the inflatable pad on a VSR-4, but I don't remember very many players wearing them. Tommy Maddux might have used one of them during his stint with the Steelers a few years ago as I remember his helmet having the smaller VSR-type rear snubber but also having the holes filled with the white screws that hold the WD-style padding in place (holes at the same places the old suspension helmets had the rivets for the suspension).

I think a lot of players who didn't like the earlier Riddell inflated helmets (HA-91/92, MicroFit, M-115, and VSR-3) wound up making the switch to inflated helmets with the VSR-4 came out in the 1990s.

I found these photos on a site called "Football Americana" that sells reconditioning supplies, etc. Here is the interior of a WD-1 - I think the snubber has been removed since it has the thin foam liner inside; the older ones without the rear snubber didn't have that foam liner:

For contrast, here is the typical current-model VSR-4:

And here is the long-discontinued VSR-3:

[leopard88]

One of my childhood favorites was Kenny Stabler with the Raiders - this was an odd wire mask from Dungard - it was an RB model with the upper part of the bar cut off (photo from HelmetHut). Also note the really odd Wilson helmet; Stabler also used this mask on an old-school Riddell RK:

Add me to the list of kids who loved that Stabler mask. I didn't know that it was a modified RB model.

Overall, what I really liked about helmets and facemasks back in the day was that certain teams were somewhat identifiable by their facemasks. In particular, I always associated the Chiefs and Seahawks with the Dungard masks (even if I didn't know that that was what they were back then).

[BlueSky]

Great point. I always thought of Dungards as being AFC masks 'cause I don't recall seeing many of them in the NFC.

On another note, what does Morten Andersen in 2007 have in common with Terry Bradshaw in the early 70's?

As for masks I don't like...there's just something odd and goofy about these new ones:

[PackerBadger]

here a unique facemask that quite frankly frighten when i was a bit younger,can any Eagles fan shed some light on this please.

Not an Eagles fan, but I know the story:

That is Charlie Smith, an Eagles WR (started opposite Harold Carmichael) who broke his jaw in 1980 but kept on playing with all that facemask. He may have even worn that in Super Bowl XV.

[PackerBadger]

And the opposite, the geeky Scott Player "chinmask" look. Sidebar - has anyone ever looked worse in an NFL uniform?

\

Yes, but not due to facemask, and yet Fox actually pays Tony Siragusa to be on TV ...

[leopard88]

As for masks I don't like...there's just something odd and goofy about these new ones:

Great point by you on this one. It may just be that we've all been conditioned to think that facemasks should have a certain look to them, but I don't like Manning's facemask at all.

[PackerBadger]

I always liked this facemask and would have worn it had I been an NFL QB (or a QB at any level beyond the field in my neighborhood):

[PackerBadger]

On another note, what does Morten Andersen in 2007 have in common with Terry Bradshaw in the early 70's?

Not exactly the same (I think), but similar: Please welcome John Hadl, of the Lawrence Welk* Packers trade:

* The Packers got Hadl from the Rams in exchange for FIVE draft picks, including "a-one and-a-two and-a-three."

[PackerBadger]

On another note, what does Morten Andersen in 2007 have in common with Terry Bradshaw in the early 70's?

Not exactly the same (I think), but similar: Please welcome John Hadl, of the Lawrence Welk* Packers trade:

* The Packers got Hadl from the Rams in exchange for FIVE draft picks, including "a-one and-a-two and-a-three."

[RetroDan#16]

here a unique facemask that quite frankly frighten when i was a bit younger,can any Eagles fan shed some light on this please.

That's a great find! Makes the Doug Williams mask I posted earlier look tame in comparision, that really is a scary facemask!

[Hat Boy]

I always thought the bar down the middle of this mask would impair a runner's vision, but it didn't seem to be a problem for Chuck Muncie.

[John in KY]

As for masks I don't like...there's just something odd and goofy about these new ones:

Great point by you on this one. It may just be that we've all been conditioned to think that facemasks should have a certain look to them, but I don't like Manning's facemask at all.

I never liked those original Revolution face masks either. It appears that Riddell has moved to a more "traditional" looking mask for them:

I don't think the Manning style (or any of the variations of that mask) are still listed on Riddell's website as an option.

[John in KY]

Not exactly the same (I think), but similar: Please welcome John Hadl, of the Lawrence Welk* Packers trade:

The Dunguard worn by Hadl is the earlier version of the mask; the one worn by Bradshaw was a later version.

If I'm remembering correctly, Bradshaw wore the same one as Hadl circa 1972/73 (the Immaculate Reception game, etc.) and swiched to the version that attached at the top of the helmet for 1974.

[larrypep]

Not exactly the same (I think), but similar: Please welcome John Hadl, of the Lawrence Welk* Packers trade:

The Dunguard worn by Hadl is the earlier version of the mask; the one worn by Bradshaw was a later version.

If I'm remembering correctly, Bradshaw wore the same one as Hadl circa 1972/73 (the Immaculate Reception game, etc.) and swiched to the version that attached at the top of the helmet for 1974.

I think Bob Griese was the first person to wear this style of facemask, from 1969 according to Helmet Hut:

[BlueSky]

Namath wore the Stabler-style mask...

...as well as something similar to the one shown on Bledsoe, Marino, Young et. al.:

This would look good attached to a helmet:

[RetroDan#16]

On the subject of first appearances, what teams started wearing this classic facemask design? I mean the mask fastening on the side rather than the cage design itself!

The first season it became mainstream appears to be 1985, but I have found some examples from the 1984 season on some players, all from San Francisco. Jeff Fuller, Dwight Clark and Riki Ellison all wore the new design a some point in the season, and also in Super Bowl XIX:

I didn't realise that this type of mask made it's appearance quite as early as 1984, and I haven't seen it on any footage or photos of any other team that year, unless anyone knows differently?

[daschuck77]

Whatever happened to the Pro Cap?!

Ahhh yes! Made famous by Mark "Lord Helmet" Kelso...

[Blue Falcon]

If I'm remembering correctly, Bradshaw wore the same one as Hadl circa 1972/73 (the Immaculate Reception game, etc.) and swiched to the version that attached at the top of the helmet for 1974.

That pic has to be from 1977, when the Steelers went to the black facemasks. In 1978, Bradshaw wore a more conventional facemask...if I can find a pic I'll post. I'm surprised he kept the above mask after he got his clock cleaned in Super Bowl X due to a hit on his jaw.

[Blue Falcon]

Helmets and facemasks have always interested me, from the design and appearance aspects to styles of facemasks to how different players wear them. I'll take the opportunity before continuing to recommend the outstanding helmethut.com site. Great stuff for anyone interested in headgear.

...while I sometimes wondered if Aaron Brooks could even see where he was going.

Judging by the way Brooks threw the ball, I doubt he could see much of anything.

[powersurge]

Whatever happened to the Pro Cap?!

Ahhh yes! Made famous by Mark "Lord Helmet" Kelso...

Ahhh yes! NFL players were having problems with concussions so the best solution was to add MORE HELMET!

....I think the only guy that would have been happy with that was a certain Lord Helmet from Spaceballs (Damn! I don't have a pic of him)