The history and evolution of the
Riddell football helmet
The beginning
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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.
Watch the video titled the greatest block in nfl
history.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=
hardest+hits+in+football+in+the+1940&oq=hard
est+hits+in+football+in+the+1940&aq=f&aqi=&a
ql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=4782l105739l0l106176l4
4l42l5l20l25l1l609l3656l0.5.3.5.0.1l14l0
The birth of a legend
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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
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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.
Enlarge Image
When will their innovations stop!!!
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.
T
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
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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
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The speed classic.......... with new built in
padding!
Revo. part 3
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The 360 with new padding gel inserts optional
and a sweat new look!
Now the iq hits
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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!
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Riddell has its competitors to like.....
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Schutt
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Rawlings
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Adams
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And zenith
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With helmets like...
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(click to see the helmets on slides)
ZENITH
schutt
Rawlings
Adams
RIDDELL
That is how helmets have evolved!