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First Ever Piece of Football Headgear is Created
The first football helmet or "leather head" was made in 1896 although no one is quite sure who invented the first one. The two main suspects are the halfback Lafayette college player, George Barclay and the physical educator, James Naismith. All in all, the helmet was made out of mole skin which offered another layer of protection for the head making concussions less frequent and less severe. Much better than players just using long hair! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_helmet#Invention -
The "ZH" Helmet Hits the NFL
Robert Zuppke was the genius to innovate the football helmet by adding much more protection through the addition of different patterns of straps to be made within the padding of the helmet in order to absorb and distribute impacts much better while also allowing for more ventilation. The helmet used loads of cloth and leather and had large holes on the top of the head. With this breakthrough, the amount of concussions was again decreased. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Zuppke -
The emergence of the face mask
Vern McMillan was the maker of the face mask which wasn't a big deal at first but as head injuries started to rise again, his design although not on the original leather helmets but plastic, was made mandatory for players in the NFL to wear in the early 1960s. The face mask was a copper wire coated in rubber that wrapped around the front acting like a cage to protect the face. http://www.indianapolismonthly.com/features/protected-development-a-century-of-football-helmet-innovation/ -
The First Plastic Football Helmet
John T. Riddell, founder of "Riddel", had taken a whole new perspective at football headgear by creating the first plastic football helmet. The design was similar to that of its leather counter-part but by being made out of plastic, it was lighter, stronger, lasted longer and was even water-proof. Although the early product had the tendency to break upon heavy contact it still made way for even more innovation. http://amfootball.isport.com/amfootball-guides/the-evolution-of-the-football-helmet -
Poly-carbonate Helmets become the Norm
With Riddell at it again with starting a new era of football helmets creates the first poly-carbonate helmet. The helmet was designed just like the earlier plastic models but now had a harder outside shell due to its mass not letting it compress when hit. The helmet also had a foam interior for more cushion on the head as well. The helmets weren't prone to breaking like the traditional plastic ones and was immediately adopted by the NFL. -
The Riddell Revolution
After 25 years, Riddell introduces their revolution helmets. The design of the padding was fixed in way that would further respect the head's center of gravity while providing additional safety features such as the Tru-Curve shape providing a thicker shell on the top of the head. This was a big hit in the football industry with most NFL players sponsering them. http://news.riddell.com/info/releases/research-shows-riddell-revolution-football-helmet-provides-better-protection-against-concussions
