The Evolution of Helmet Safety in the NFL
Informative Speech
11/19/2012
* Introduction
* Since the foundation of the NFL in 1920, player helmet safety has come a long way with many advances being made to ensure players receive the highest degree of protection possible.
In order to help you better understand the advancements the NFL has made to ensure player helmet safety, I will discuss 2 main topics.
The History of the NFL Helmet
1. The Consequences of Head Injuries
I. The History of the NFL Helmet
The Early Years (1920’s- Mid 1980’s)
Leather Helmets
Original NFL helmet was made of soft leather
Used from 1920-1938
Very basic helmet with almost no protection from injury
Lining absorbed water & perspiration
Basically protected players from hair pulling & losing an ear
The use of helmets at this time was optional
Hard leather helmets adopted in 1939
Chin strap incorporated in 1940
1943 – All NFL players required to wear helmets
This style provided only slightly better protection from head injury vs. the soft leather style
Plastic Helmets
Officially adopted in 1949 by NFL
Developed & Patented in 1939 by John T. Riddell Company
First helmet with head padding inside
Player collisions intensified due to the thought of a “safer” helmet, but changes in game play resulted in new
and worsened injuries
Single face bar added 1955; Double face bar added 1960; by 1962, every NFL player wore a face mask
Lack of helmet stability led to helmets flying off upon collision and caused neck injuries to significantly increase
By the mid 1960’s these helmets were determined unsafe by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment
1970’s Energy Absorbing Helmets
In 1971, Riddell added air pockets inside helmets to soften impact
In 1975, full face masks were officially adopted by the NFL
With head & neck injuries continuing to increase, plastic & energy absorbing helmets were phased out by the mid 1980’s due to lack...