About two years ago, I wrote a story about the battle between plastic and leather helmets, mainly how that played out in the 1955 Spalding catalog, which offered four plastic helmet models and three in leather.
Last maskless player: Toni Fritsch - Nov. 7, 1971. Dallas 16, St. Louis 13. FGs: 3/4.
In the early '50s, maskless helmets caused skin-scraped cheekbones on tacklers called 'strawberries,' a status symbol.
I never heard that expression before but did a quick newspaper archive search and found an example of the expression used in 1956.
Love this piece. The face mask is such an overlooked item in football history that is front and center every game we watch and it too has a story!
Last maskless player: Toni Fritsch - Nov. 7, 1971. Dallas 16, St. Louis 13. FGs: 3/4.
In the early '50s, maskless helmets caused skin-scraped cheekbones on tacklers called 'strawberries,' a status symbol.
I never heard that expression before but did a quick newspaper archive search and found an example of the expression used in 1956.
Love this piece. The face mask is such an overlooked item in football history that is front and center every game we watch and it too has a story!