Today's Tidbit... Blocking Sleds and Other Travesties

Few pieces of football training equipment were worth less than the multi-man blocking sled, but they were popular for a century. Here we see Dick Hanley running his 1933 Northwestern team through their blocking sled paces. After tying for the Big Ten title in 1930 and 1931, Hanley must have acquired the pictured sled since the Wildcats went 1-5-2 in 1933.

The photo shows Hanley after pulling a lever that snaps the ball seen hanging under the contraption leading to three players attacking the leather-helmeted pads. Also of note are the spiffy uniforms his folded-arm linemen wear. Clearly, this was a photo opportunity and not a regular practice.

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