Today's Tidbit... More Absorblo Pads
I've written about Absorblo in the past since it was a miracle of science padding developed in the mid-1950s at a Cornell research lab through funding provided by MacGregor. Its first use came in exterior helmet padding, a topic that is in the news again with the NFL's approval of Guardian helmet caps for gameplay. I also wrote about Absorblo's use for the interior padding of helmets.
Today, I present the long-awaited Tidbit on Arborblo's use in padding the remainder of football player bodies. MacGregor's competitors in the mid-1950s had products with similar designs, and while they touted their No-Shock Vinyl (Spalding) and Aire-Guard Vinyl (Rawlings), only MacGregor had Absorblo, a lightweight, space-age material that protected players as never before.
Those needing even more protection could wear an Absorblo Shoulder Pad Cushion under their shoulder pads to double their Absorblo protection.
Other Absorblo products included MacGregor's girdles, thigh pads, and knee pads.
While the previous article about Absorblo's use for exterior helmet padding showed that it disappeared in the mid-1960s, Absorblo continued to be used across MacGregor's product line until at least 1969.
Absorblo is not mentioned in the description of MacGregor's top-end Monster shoulder pads, though it shows up in their second-best shoulder pad model. MacGregor designed the "Big Daddy" Monster pad with the front and back of the pads extending further down the chest than in the past, presumably due to linebackers increasingly being trained to tackle with their chests.
MacGregor's 1969 hip pads allowed equipment managers and players to mix and match several girdle configurations and the pads they inserted. One of the padding options used Absorblo, which likely paired well with the crotchless girdle option. Ooh la la.
MacGregor's Crown-Line helmet shells were made of high-impact polycarbonate, "the same type of plastic material that NASA selected for astronauts' helmets." They also offered the helmets in a clear shell version, just like when Riddell introduced plastic helmets in 1940. Clear shell helmets allowed the decal and paint to be applied on the interior, reducing the need to repaint or replace decals throughout the season.
Absorblo remains among the accessories, as seen in the Michigan State Spartans helmet, but it appears its use was beginning to fade. Of course, MacGregor sold its helmet line in 1974, as most manufacturers exited the varsity helmet business. Absorblo continued in use for junior helmets in 1975 and then disappeared from the scene as a newer and better form of padding replaced the 20-year-old technology.
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One can never get too much Absorblo history! Great story and research.