Helmets and Facemasks

[Gothamite]

I think this was a training camp photo so LT was able to wear the reflective shield; I also think he has a waiver to wear a tinted (but not reflective) shield during games due to migranes.

That's what I've heard, but it still seems suspicious. Does he wear sunglasses on the sidelines?

[BlueSky]

If ever I wish I had a pic of an event I saw, it's now. But I don't, so I'll just have to relate the story. My first ever Saints game was their last game of 1969, a 27-24 victory over the Steelers. The game was notable for several reasons; the Saints won ( ), it was Hall of Famer Doug Atkins' last game, and just as the game ended there was a bench-clearing brawl during which a Steeler kicked Saints WR Danny Abramowicz square in the ass as Danny stood on tiptoe at the edge of the pile trying to see the fight.

Anyway, back to Doug Atkins. Doug was 6 ft 8 and went about 280. His HOF years were with the Bears and he ended up with the expansion Saints for the last few years of his career. He went out in style, sacking the QB on the last play of his last game, and as if that wasn't enough, during the fight he punched a Steeler lineman, who was wearing his helmet, in the face. He crushed the guy's mask right back into his face! The guy had a cage-type mask and it looked like somebody hit it with a sledgehammer. His face was all bloody too. They showed a pic on the news in New Orleans that night. Unbelievable.

[TFoA]

RIP Max McGee, an unexpected hero if there ever was one.

To our topic though, his helmet looks too small and as if there's not a bit of padding in it!

1) Off-Topic but I LOVE the Packers throwbacks. Just something about seeing that uniform with the long sleeves and the sock striping. That's old-school beauty to the max.

2) Wow. The Doug Williams helmet and that Eagles helmet are some of the scariest things I've ever seen football players wear. It's like one of those Anglerfish with all the teeth in em.

3) Revolution helmets, especially the one Peyton wears, are ugly...But they are comfortable as hell. Although I wouldn't advise my allies who happen to play football to take any shots to the head, but if you do, then the Revolution will do a good job of cushioning the blow, IMO. That and it just feels better thana regular ol' helmet on your head as well.

But yeah, awesome thread.

Now this is a helmet I would've hated to have worn. 1960s football players were straight up MEN.

There's like, negative padding on there.

[LEWJ]

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.

Here's some of what I'm talking about. Willie Roaf wore his helmet so high that most of his forehead showed...

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

In fact, he sometimes had to lean his head back just to get a look downfield.

LT started out wearing a fairly common facemask...

...but evolved into an almost Vaderesque look...

(Side note - the outline of the shoulder numbers appears to be raised. Hmm...)

Continued...

You mean LT actually wears that on gameday? I had no idea. I thought it was a "practice only" thing, for some reason.

[LEWJ]

And I believe Brad Johnson is one of the only NFL Players remaining that still wears this facemask:

Another weird one

[Bombhunter]

I remember seeing this facemask in a Giants calendar when I was a kid. Lynn Dickey was getting sacked by some Giant in the picture, if I recall correctly...

[John in KY]

And I believe Brad Johnson is one of the only NFL Players remaining that still wears this facemask:

Yes, it seems like most players today who want the extra protection are moving to the are either using an expanded face mask like Donovan McNabb or are opting to move to a Revolution or Schutt DNA helmet (and we will see how many move to the Schutt ION).

I remember seeing this facemask in a Giants calendar when I was a kid. Lynn Dickey was getting sacked by some Giant in the picture, if I recall correctly...

These old masks were made by Riddell and given away with the helmets; this design was from the late 70s/very early 80s. Riddell never has had much luck with designing facemasks; players usually didn't like their masks. Of course, the Revolution helmet seems to have changed that becuase most players seem to be keeping the Riddell mask and not switching out to a Schutt-made Revolution mask.

[Spearhead]

Were these masks coated iron, coated aluminum, or plastic? Always wondered.

The early Dungard masks were flat metal coated with plastic. The later ones (like I had) were just hard plastic.

Notre Dame wore these leather MacGregors into the late 1950s, slapping plastic masks on them:

These masks were always more interesting when rigged upside down:

This was always an interesting look:

These old MacGregors had character:

[PackerBadger]

I remember seeing this facemask in a Giants calendar when I was a kid. Lynn Dickey was getting sacked by some Giant in the picture, if I recall correctly...

Lynn Dickey was getting sacked by some opponent all the time for most of his career.

He did, incidentally, switch to the Marino-style facemask when Forrest Gregg arrived in 1984 -- it accompanied the Packers uniform change, for whatever reason.

[RetroDan#16]

I remember seeing this facemask in a Giants calendar when I was a kid. Lynn Dickey was getting sacked by some Giant in the picture, if I recall correctly...

Lynn Dickey was getting sacked by some opponent all the time for most of his career.

He did, incidentally, switch to the Marino-style facemask when Forrest Gregg arrived in 1984 -- it accompanied the Packers uniform change, for whatever reason.

That mask reminds me of Lester Hayes' cage he wore through most of his career. He often (though not always) had 'Gladiator' on the nose bumper plate - was this the mask manufacturer or something to do with the helmet or just a statement of Hayes' playing style?! I'm sure I've seen the same plate on other helmets, although offhand I can't think who.

[illwauk]

That was the last mask I ever wore as a player. This was around 2003 when those things first came out. Most of the other guys on the team were still rejecting them for lookin' so damn weird, but I fell in love with it.

But then, I am pretty damn weird in general...

[Sport]

I think gladiator was a helmet manufacturer. My dad showed me the helmet he wore in high school which was a gladiator. The model he wore was the short lived water padding. The pads in the helmet were filled with water which isn't a great idea for a team playing their high school games in Akron, Ohio for obvious reasons...It would freeze.

[John in KY]

I think gladiator was a helmet manufacturer. My dad showed me the helmet he wore in high school which was a gladiator. The model he wore was the short lived water padding. The pads in the helmet were filled with water which isn't a great idea for a team playing their high school games in Akron, Ohio for obvious reasons...It would freeze.

Yep, I remember the Gladiators - the ones I remember had more of a gel in them, but it must have been water-based because your dad isn't the only one I've ever heard talk about them freezing.

The old Riddell inflated helmets (pre-VSR series, but I'm not sure about the M-155) had a mix of liquid- and air-filled pads; I've heard that the liquid part could be filled with either water or anti-freeze depending on the weather conditions. For sure by the time of the VSR-3 they were only air-inflated.

[Hat Boy]

Another weird one

Willie McGinest uses a similar "dropdown" from the top of his mask.

[PackerBadger]

Another weird one

Willie McGinest uses a similar "dropdown" from the top of his mask.

Those started making a comeback thanks to the Raiders' Howie Long (second from left):

[Spearhead]

The old Riddell inflated helmets (pre-VSR series, but I'm not sure about the M-155) had a mix of liquid- and air-filled pads; I've heard that the liquid part could be filled with either water or anti-freeze depending on the weather conditions. For sure by the time of the VSR-3 they were only air-inflated.

That's right. I wore a "water pack" helmet in high school and college. I felt they were superior in feel and comfort to the plain padded jobs.

[amare32]

These masks were always more interesting when rigged upside down:

This was always an interesting look:

These old MacGregors had character:

Something about those old helmets reminds me of 'droids.

[BlueSky]

Check out this facemask...

That's a practice shot of an Atlanta high school team called the Southside Lasers. That's their QB...wearing a sixty-something number and with a red and yellow zebra facemask. Don't see THAT every day...

[powersurge]

You know I've actually seen a similar zebra looking facemask somewhere but can't recall where.

[ohryan]

I've always hated these helmets because of the ridiculous and pointless 2nd set of ear holes.