The Evolution of Football Equipment...

[Phoenix-Talon]

The Evolution of Football ...

American football was started in 1879 with rules instituted by Walter Camp.
Derived from the English game of rugby, American football was started in 1879 with rules instituted by Walter Camp, player and coach at Yale University.

The NFL or the National Football League, was formed in 1920.

From then until now, football is constantly evolving. Even the protective equipment has changed drastically since inception ...

Football helmets have continually evolved since the beginning of the game to more safely protect the player. Helmets have transitioned from leather to plastic to plastic with a facemask.

Here's a sneak peek at the earlier football equipment ...

http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/L/D/football.gif

Here's a look at some of the earlier football helmets ...can you find your team's helmet (smile)

http://www.pasttimesports.biz/products/fullsize/Arkansas.jpg

http://www.pasttimesports.biz/products/early/flattop.jpg

http://www.pasttimesports.biz/products/fullsize/giantsmarv.jpg

http://www.pasttimesports.biz/products/fullsize/Yellowwing.jpg

http://www.pasttimesports.biz/products/fullsize/1940PackerPittssm2006.jpg


Here's a look at some of the earlier footballs ...

[SIZE=+0]

http://www.pasttimesports.biz/products/fullsize/watermelonfeb05a.jpg

http://www.pasttimesports.biz/products/footballs/Lightwatermelonballsm.jpg


That's just a look back in time to give you all some foundation about the game we still call ...football.

Phoenix-Talon
[/SIZE]

 

[Hostile]

That Wolverines helmet picture would be a great avatar pic for a Michigan fan.

The bottom 2 football pics would too.

 

[notherbob]

Good post, Phoenix, thanks.

Hope Reid gets his kids squared away.

 

[Cbz40]

Interesting post Sir........I remember those leather (pardon the expression) helmets well. They did at least keep part of the dirt out of your hair.

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

Interesting post Sir........I remember those leather (pardon the expression) helmets well. They did at least keep part of the dirt out of your hair.

The leather football helmet has it’s origin more than100 years ago first worn in an 1893 Army-Navy game. An Annapolis shoemaker created the first helmet for Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves, who had been advised by a Navy doctor that he would be risking death or “instant insanity” if he took another kick to the head. Later in 1896 Lafayette College halfback George Barclay so feared the fabled cauliflower ear on his “hearing organs”, which he felt was a direct cause of playing bare-headed, that he had a playing hat made. His design was a special headgear which was held to his head by three heavy leather straps fashioned by a harness maker, thus giving the first football helmets the nomenclature “head-harness”.

The Golden Era - The helmet as we know it today has undergone many changes in its 100 years. Helmets were not mandatory until the 30’s. Most of the 1890--1915 games were actually played without helmets. It was not unusual to see half of the early players with helmets and half without. Around World War I the helmets were so flimsy that they were often mistaken for aviator caps. Year by year more padding was added and from the 1920’s thru 1940’s, considered the Golden Age of college, pro and high school football — helmets, like the ones we are offering here, always were strictly of leather construction. Flying wing, colors and targets - Another interesting fact was that nearly all of the games in this era were played in unadorned helmets —school logos colors and mascots were rarely used. As the great rivalries grew colleges and high schools began to hand-paint their helmets.

The idea was that the simple colors, in the first days of the forward pass, allowed receivers to finally be distinguishable to the quarterback when they were heavily covered and far down the field. Not until 1948 was the first logo, the Rams horns, painted on a pro leather helmet. Soon after, practically every college, pro and high school team put their logos and mascots on their helmets. But the great old leather helmet was spared much of this “clutter” as it’s days faded into history before 1950.

 

[Cbz40]

The leather football helmet has it’s origin more than100 years ago first worn in an 1893 Army-Navy game. An Annapolis shoemaker created the first helmet for Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves, who had been advised by a Navy doctor that he would be risking death or “instant insanity” if he took another kick to the head. Later in 1896 Lafayette College halfback George Barclay so feared the fabled cauliflower ear on his “hearing organs”, which he felt was a direct cause of playing bare-headed, that he had a playing hat made. His design was a special headgear which was held to his head by three heavy leather straps fashioned by a harness maker, thus giving the first football helmets the nomenclature “head-harness”.

The Golden Era - The helmet as we know it today has undergone many changes in its 100 years. Helmets were not mandatory until the 30’s. Most of the 1890--1915 games were actually played without helmets. It was not unusual to see half of the early players with helmets and half without. Around World War I the helmets were so flimsy that they were often mistaken for aviator caps. Year by year more padding was added and from the 1920’s thru 1940’s, considered the Golden Age of college, pro and high school football — helmets, like the ones we are offering here, always were strictly of leather construction. Flying wing, colors and targets - Another interesting fact was that nearly all of the games in this era were played in unadorned helmets —school logos colors and mascots were rarely used. As the great rivalries grew colleges and high schools began to hand-paint their helmets.

The idea was that the simple colors, in the first days of the forward pass, allowed receivers to finally be distinguishable to the quarterback when they were heavily covered and far down the field. Not until 1948 was the first logo, the Rams horns, painted on a pro leather helmet. Soon after, practically every college, pro and high school team put their logos and mascots on their helmets. But the great old leather helmet was spared much of this “clutter” as it’s days faded into history before 1950.

According to NFL history (see external link below) the forward pass was legalized from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage February 25, 1933. Before that rule change a forward pass had to be made from 5 or more yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Eddie Cochem, the Saint Louis University coach, was the first to use the forward pass in 1906. However, the play was not used widely until Knute Rockne and Gus Dorais refined it while lifeguarding on a Lake Erie beach at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio during the summer of 1913. That year, Jesse Harper, Notre Dame head coach, showed how the pass could be used by a smaller team to beat a bigger one. After it was used against a major school on a national stage in this game, the forward pass rapidly gained popularity.

Forward passes were first permitted in Canadian football in 1929[1], but the tactic remained a minor part of the game for several years. Jack Jacobs of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is recognized, not for inventing the forward pass, but for popularizing it in the Western Interprovincial Football Union, thus changing the Canadian game from a more run-dominated game to the passing game as seen today.


Remember it well......Just kidding ...... I'm not that old.

 

[Yeagermeister]

According to NFL history (see external link below) the forward pass was legalized from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage February 25, 1933. Before that rule change a forward pass had to be made from 5 or more yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Eddie Cochem, the Saint Louis University coach, was the first to use the forward pass in 1906. However, the play was not used widely until Knute Rockne and Gus Dorais refined it while lifeguarding on a Lake Erie beach at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio during the summer of 1913. That year, Jesse Harper, Notre Dame head coach, showed how the pass could be used by a smaller team to beat a bigger one. After it was used against a major school on a national stage in this game, the forward pass rapidly gained popularity.

Forward passes were first permitted in Canadian football in 1929[1], but the tactic remained a minor part of the game for several years. Jack Jacobs of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is recognized, not for inventing the forward pass, but for popularizing it in the Western Interprovincial Football Union, thus changing the Canadian game from a more run-dominated game to the passing game as seen today.


Remember it well......Just kidding ...... I'm not that old.

Yes you are....stop lying

 

[Cbz40]

Yes you are....stop lying

I am not lying........welllll maybe a little.....Naw!!!

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

Hope Reid gets his kids squared away.

Here's the latest on Andy Reid ...

Eagles President Joe Banner has announced that head coach Andy Reid has taken a leave of absence from his duties as the team's head coach/executive vice president of football operations to attend to personal matters involving his family.

Here is what the Eagles released in a brief statement:
"Philadelphia Eagles President Joe Banner today announced that Andy Reid will take a leave of absence from his duties as head coach/executive vice president of football operations in order to attend to personal matters involving his family. The leave of absence will last until approximately mid-March 2007. At that point, Reid will return to his regular duties with the Eagles."
Banner will address the media at 1:30 p.m. today in the NovaCare Complex auditorium and you can watch it live on PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Also, a special edition Eagles Live! will start at 1:20 p.m. today.
Reid has been dealing with the recent legal troubles involving his sons, Garrett and Britt, and will miss the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis from February 22-28.

Free agency begins on March 2. The NFL draft is on April 28-29.

 

[zrinkill]

Nice post PT

 

[smarta5150]

That Wolverines helmet picture would be a great avatar pic for a Michigan fan.

The bottom 2 football pics would too.

I like the Star though

 

[Hostile]

I like the Star though

I understand, but there is something about throwback football that just rocks. That Wolverine helmet is classic.

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

I understand, but there is something about throwback football that just rocks. That Wolverine helmet is classic.

Classic indeed ...


1902 Michigan Univ. Style