History of the football helmet

Before the invention of the football helmet, players would often grow their hair long, because they believed it would protect their heads.

It had three thick leather straps forming a close fit around his head, made by a harness maker.

Naval Academy Midshipman Joseph M. Reeves (later to become the "Father of Carrier Aviation"), who had a protective device for his head made out of mole skin to allow him to play in the 1893 Army-Navy Game after he was told by a Navy doctor that he must give up football or risk death from another kick in the head.

The helmet slowly began to take more of the appearance we recognize today when around 1915 more padding and flaps were added with ear holes for better on-field communication.

The first person to design a bar face mask on a football helmet was Vern McMillan, the owner of a sporting goods store in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The plastic helmets were brittle when hit head on, and the bar hole that was drilled for the face mask tended to pop loose.

[editorializing] Riddell's plastic helmet was a little flat on top at first but it changed to its tear-drop shape, which allowed a blow to slide to one side or the other rather than be met head-on.

In 1971, Morgan, now chairman of the board of Riddell received a patent for "Energy Absorbing and Sizing Means for Helmets."

They had valves on their crown to allow air to be pumped into vinyl cushions that were crammed into every space inside the helmet.

An anti-freeze solvent was used by some of the Green Bay Packers players to beat the cold weather of Lambeau Field in late-season games.

The Michigan Wolverines Football team used a prototype and Schutt Sports hired Schneider and started mass-producing the AirTm Helmet in the early 1970s.

Interior helmet pads were then developed that were lighter and did not need to be filled with air or fluid by both the Schutt and Riddell sports companies.

A study released by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center shows that the Riddell Revolution, and others like it, reduce the incidences of concussion by 31%.

In the early days of American football, players did not wear helmets.
The cover of the November 13, 1912 issue Puck magazine featuring a cartoon of American football players from 1892 and 1912, the caption reads: Gee, but you look funny. . The player from 1892 has grown out hair and not wearing equipment.
In the early 20th century, some players wore helmets but they were not mandatory.