Today's Tidbit... Before Face Masking

(1939 Purdue yearbook)

"Bird cage" face masks that covered the top half of the face were worn in the 1930s by players with injured noses or eyes, while players in the 1950s increasingly wore face masks to prevent facial injuries. More face masks meant more were available to be grabbed, leading the NCAA to create the face masking penalty in 1957.

Until then, grabbing the face or face mask was fair game.

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