The history and evolution of the Riddell football helmet

The beginning ● In the time before helmets were made football was a European sport that was later played in the U.S. But when it became an event held weekly it got rough.

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The birth of a legend ● Soon after adopting football from Europe we as Americans made it a violent blood thirsty type of sport but with that thirst came injury and a man born in 1929 by the name of John t Riddell made it just a bit safer with the helmet.

Soon after ● Soon after making this leather pad he thought “hey if men are still getting concussions maybe I should make the helmet safer, just more effective.” so he did and in 1939 he made the first plastic helmet.

Another first!

All NFL players were maskless until the Browns' home game against the 49ers where Otto Graham took an elbow to the face, ripping open the side of his mouth near the end of the half. His coach, Paul Brown, had a lucite prototype put on Otto's helmet by the team equipment Manager. Otto insisted on playing the second half. Paul Brown owned the patent for the face mask made by Riddell and used his profits to create the Cincinnati Bengals.

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When will their innovations stop!!!

T he breakthrough in face masks came in 1955. G.E. Morgan, invented the BT-5 face mask for quarterback Otto Graham. The "BT" in the invention's name was for bar tubular; it was a single tubular bar that was a combination of rubber and plastic. From BT-5 came a variety of single bars, double bars, triple bars, and birdcages. Plastic and rubber tubing or welded steel or aluminum with a vinyl plastisol coating were used in their construction.

Another first after another!

One of the most successful helmets of its time. The interior system consists of ndividual vinyl air cushions with layers of fitting and energy absorbing foam. When a blow is struck, the air in the cushion is expelled through a single vent, greatly reducing the initial impact. With the exhausting of the air cushion, the compressed fitting foam is further compressed, reducing impact.

The revo ● After a few more years of hard work riddell came up with a few more things like inflatable pads, gel inserts and finally got flashy and made the revolutionary helmet.

Revo. part 2 ● The speed classic.......... with new built in padding!

Revo. part 3 ● The 360 with new padding gel inserts optional and a sweat new look!

Now the iq hits ● After the 360 riddell invented iq hits to measure every hit the player takes wall wearing a revolution classic and this can help prevent future injury and assist the study on the sport it self.

The competition!

● Riddell has its competitors to like.....

● Schutt ● Rawlings ● Adams ● And zenith ● With helmets like...

● (click to see the helmets on slides)

ZENITH

schutt

Rawlings

Adams

RIDDELL

That is how helmets have evolved!