The game of football has evolved as much as any other sport, especially when it comes to protective gear. (Photo generated with AI)
Throughout the history of football, the gear has changed dramatically. From almost nothing to the high-tech gear of today, the changes have increased safety tremendously in the sport.
The early pads and helmets were made of leather and did not do the best job of protecting players. These were used from the early 1900s and even into the late 1940s. These are the pads that go into the 1950s. (photo created using AI)The 1950s brought in plastic helmets, which did a better job protecting the player’s head, though helmet bars were not mandatory until 1962. (Photo generated with AI)Throughout the 60s, the official change to plastic helmets was enforced and a simple single-bar was added. Shoulder pads were also switched from leather to plastic to keep pads from water-logging with sweat. (Ben Kallhoff)The 70s saw an increase in the size of shoulder pads. The bulkier style allowed more protection. Jerseys also saw a change. They replaced wool and cotton with mesh. (Ben Kallhoff)In the 70s and 80s, the helmet saw significant changes. The plastic in the helmet was changed to spread out the force of contact instead of one spot. Shoulder pads also switched from leather to plastic so that the sweat would be absorbed better instead of becoming water-logged. (Ben Kallhoff)The 80s were very similar to the 1970s, not a ton of change in the shoulder pads; they continued the bulky style that would last into the 90s. (Ben Kallhoff)In the 90s, helmets didn’t see much change other than banning single and double bars. This is also when bulky shoulder pads were at it’s hight. The shift to a lot of present-day amenities would come in the late 90s and into the early 2000s. (Ben Kallhoff
The 2000s brought many more safety precautions. The Riddell Revolution was introduced in 2002, proving to be the safest helmet by far. Shoulder pads also changed. They switched to a sleeker, custom-molded design, which would be the norm going forward. (Ben Kallhoff)
In 2012, Nike became the official jersey provider of the NFL. The jerseys were more sleek and tighter, compared to the baggier jerseys of Reebok. Helmets and shoulder pads now were custom fitted and continued to improve in injury prevention. These changes are what are in the game today. (Ben Kallhoff)
